Sabalenka defeats Svitolina to reach Australian Open final

Sabalenka defeats Svitolina to reach Australian Open finalWorld no 1 Aryna Sabalenka is through to her fourth straight Australian Open final with victory against Elina Svitolina.Belarus's Aryna Sabalenka conceded only five games against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina in their Australian Open semifinal on Thursday [Izhar Khan/AFP]Published On 29 Jan 2026Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka powered into her fourth Australian Open final in a row with a dominant 6-2 6-3 win over Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina on Thursday, in a politically charged encounter.Top-seeded Sabalenka will now bid for a third crown at Melbourne Park in four years and fifth Grand Slam title overall against the winner of the late semifinal between Jessica Pegula and Elena Rybakina at Rod Laver Arena.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Senegal and Morocco handed fines and bans after AFCON final farcelist 2 of 4Mbappe blasts Real Madrid after Champions League loss at Benficalist 3 of 4Mourinho’s Benfica drag Real Madrid with them to Champions League playoffslist 4 of 4Barcelona claim Champions League last-16 spot, but its the playoffs for PSGend of list“I just cannot believe that. It’s an incredible achievement ⁠but the job is not done yet,” world number one Sabalenka said on court. “I’m super happy with the win. She’s ​such a tough opponent and has been playing incredible tennis the whole week.”Since Russia’s invasion ‍of Ukraine in 2022, for which Belarus has been a staging ground, Russian and Belarusian players have been banned from representing their nations at the Grand Slams and tour events.Like other players from Ukraine, Svitolina does not shake hands with opponents from Russia or Moscow’s ally Belarus because of the war.An announcement was made before the semifinal at Rod Laver Arena and a statement flashed up on a big screen saying there would be no handshake, asking fans to “respect” that.The two players also noticeably kept apart for the pre-match formalities and photos.Svitolina has been vocal about the strain of playing the two countries’ players, and said she hoped ‍to bring her ⁠nation “light” at the Australian Open after a tough winter.Sabalenka serves against Svitolina during their women’s singles semifinal match in Melbourne on January 29, 2026 [Izhar Khan/AFP]The 27-year-old Sabalenka, however, crushed those hopes in a furious display of raw power.She became the third woman in the professional era to reach the Australian Open decider four times in a row, following Evonne Goolagong Cawley (1971-76) and Martina Hingis (1997-2002), who each played six finals in a row.“Gutted not to make it through tonight,” Svitolina told reporters. “Of course, it’s very difficult when you’re playing a world number one on fire.”While 31-year-old Svitolina was comprehensively defeated, she fought ​hard from the first ball to the last.The 12th seed started with tenacity, thumping ‌a forehand winner down the line on the first point returning serve.Sabalenka wobbled, giving up two break points with a loose backhand, but blasted her way out of danger.There was early tension at 2-1 when Svitolina was awarded a point mid-rally, with Sabalenka penalised for hindering ‌the point with a late grunt.Incensed, she demanded a video review, but the point stood.She channelled her frustration into breaking Svitolina, then held for a 4-1 lead.Pinning Svitolina well ‌behind the baseline, Sabalenka grabbed three set points and converted the ⁠third, roaring “Let’s go!” after a sizzling cross-court backhand winner.Svitolina, left, was no match for Sabalenka in the first semifinal [Dita Alangkara/AP]After 41 minutes of earth-shaking power, Sabalenka’s weapons finally misfired.She dropped the opening service game of the second set with a clutch of errors, raising cheers from a crowd yearning for a contest.But Sabalenka steadied herself, breaking Svitolina twice in ‌succession.Svitolina never dropped her head and earned a break point when trailing 4-2 to put the match back on serve.Sabalenka was not to be denied, though.After thrashing a forehand winner down the line to save the break point, she ‍proved unstoppable.Grabbing two match points with a huge serve, Sabalenka closed it out in style, swooping forward with a forehand cross-court winner to book her chance of claiming a third trophy at Melbourne Park.