Elina Svitolina Seeks Inspiration from Ukraine Victims After Australian Open Exit to Aryna Sabalenka
Elina Svitolina lost in straight sets to World No. 1 and two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open semifinal.
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Elina Svitolina (Image via X/Elina Monfils)
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Elina Svitolina reached her maiden Australian Open semifinal in 2026, where she lost to two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 6-3. Svitolina had a good start in both sets but couldn’t maintain the momentum and put enough pressure on the Belarusian’s serve. Svitolina squandered two break points in the opening game of the match and failed to build upon her 2-0 lead in the second set.
Nonetheless, Svitolina had a great run in Melbourne, defeating Mirra Andreeva and Coco Gauff in straight sets in her prior rounds. Svitolina returned to the tour in 2023, after giving birth to her daughter the previous year, and has since then won three titles and returned to the top 10 of the WTA rankings. In her post-match press conference, Svitolina expressed her gratitude for being able to represent Ukraine on this stage:
People are really living horrible and terrifying lives in Ukraine, so I should not be allowed to really be sad because I’m a very, very lucky person. I have this amazing opportunity to play on centre court here, represent my country, to do it in a decent way, and to have the opportunity to use my words and just be there for my people.
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated in 2022, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, starting the current phase of the war. This marks the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II. The ATP and WTA banned Russian and Belarusian flags in March 2022, allowing players from these nations to only compete as neutral athletes. The 31-year-old further spoke about the Ukrainian people:
I feel like for the past weeks, they have been really carrying me through with great vibes, with great emotions, and for me, this is something that really motivates me. Without any doubt, it’s something that when I wake up in the morning, I see of course terrifying news, but then I see people watching my matches. They write comments, and they are really… I think it’s like a big exchange of positive emotions.
Since the war, Svitolina has also avoided the customary post-match handshake with Russian and Belarusian players. In the semifinal, she even avoided clicking a photo with Sabalenka before the match commenced. Sabalenka now leads their head-to-head 6-1, having won the past three matches in straight sets.
Aryna Sabalenka’s quest for a third Australian Open title
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has reached her fourth consecutive Australian Open final, becoming only the third woman to do so in the Open Era. Evonne Goolagong reached six consecutive Australian Open finals from 1971 to 1976, winning three of them and Marina Hingis reached six consecutive Australian Open finals from 1997 to 2002, winning three of them.
In the final in Melbourne, Sabalenka will play Elena Rybakina in a rematch of their 2023 Australian Open final. Sabalenka will be aiming for her fifth Grand Slam title, while Rybakina is looking to clinch her second Grand Slam title.
Sabalenka leads their head-to-head record 8-6, while Rybakina defeated her in straight sets in their last meeting in the championship match of the 2025 WTA Finals. Both players have not dropped a set en route to the final in Melbourne, becoming the first pair to do so and reach a Grand Slam final since Serena and Venus Williams in Wimbledon 2008.
Sabalenka came back from a set down to defeat Rybakina in the 2023 Australian Open final. In 2024, Sabalenka won the title without dropping a set, defeating Qinwen Zheng in the final. She missed out on the opportunity to complete a hat-trick in 2025 after being upset in the final by Madison Keys, who won her maiden Grand Slam title.
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