The 22-year-old Belarusian dropped her opening service game and was down 2-0 after a nervous start before winning 12 of the next 13 games to take the match away from Sharapova, a three-time major winner and the 2008 Australian champion.
The 22-year-old’s first grand slam title also means that she will become the new world No. 1 when the WTA rankings are released on January 30.
She becomes only the third woman to earn the No. 1 spot after winning her first Grand Slam title.
While virtually carbon copies of each other in terms of height and playing style, Azarenka had won the two previous finals between the pair, both on hard courts.
Azarenka became the third woman, after Evonne Goolagong-Cawley and Chris O’Neil, to win the junior and senior singles title at Melbourne Park. She won the junior title in 2005.
Compiled from agency reports
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