Photo: EPA
Svitolina falls in straight sets to world No. 1 Sobolenko in Australian Open 2026 semifinal
On Thursday, January 29, Ukraine’s top tennis player Elina Svitolina (WTA No. 12) competed in the semifinals of the 2026 Australian Open.
Her opponent was neutral world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus. The match lasted 1 hour and 17 minutes, with Svitolina losing in straight sets, 2–6, 3–6. Sabalenka now leads their head-to-head series 6–1.
For 31-year-old Svitolina, this marked her 13th appearance at the Australian Open and her first semifinal, having previously reached the quarterfinals three times.
During the tournament, Svitolina defeated two Russian players and, in the previous round, upset U.S. No. 3 Coco Gauff.
