New delhi: Aryna Sabalenka combined power and poise to crush Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3 in the women’s singles semifinals of the Australian Open on Thursday. She will face Elena Rybakina in Saturday’s final for the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.
Sabalenka was dominant throughout, pushing Svitolina into the corners and punishing her with heavy serves and flat, powerful groundstrokes to seal a straight-sets victory. The Belarusian, who has been in commanding form at Melbourne Park, rarely allowed her opponent any breathing space.
This marks Sabalenka’s fourth successive appearance in the Australian Open final, underlining her growing legacy at the season’s first Grand Slam. At 27, she has looked ruthless in 2026, a reflection of her bold, aggressive style and consistency at the highest level.
“An incredible achievement, but the job’s not done yet,” Sabalenka said. “I tried to put as much pressure as I could on her, and I’m happy the level was there today.”
For someone who dared to take on Nick Kyrgios in the “Battle Of Sexes before the season’s first Grand Slam, Aryna Sabalenka has been brave and loud as well. She defines feminine grace in looks and physique for sure, but when it comes to churning out strokes which are hard and crisp, she is in the zone. There was a stage when her audible level of ‘grunts’ may have looked awkward as well to a few, but there is no doubting her supremacy. A fourth straight appearance in the Australian Open is a legacy built for sure, which leaves behind many champions from the past.
There is intensity in what Aryna does and the hard methods on court are there for all to see. She has a huge team of coaches, physios, trainers, who prep here up. And once she is done with her job on court, she celebrates with them.
In the second semifinal, Elena Rybakina ended Jessica Pegula’s winning run with a 6-3, 7-6 (9/7) victory in an hour and 40 minutes at Rod Laver Arena. Sabalenka holds an 8-6 head-to-head edge over Rybakina ahead of the final.
Rybakina said she planned to keep things light before the title clash. “I’ll practise on Friday and then try to take my mind off tennis a bit,” she said.
Meanwhile, after reaching her first semifinal in Australia and winning a title in a warmup tournament in New Zealand, Svitolina will return to the top 10 for the first time since she took a maternity break in 2022. The Auckland title was her first foray back on tour after an early end to 2025.