MELBOURNE, Australia — A point penalty for hindrance couldn’t halt Aryna Sabalenka’s stride towards a fourth straight Australian Open final.
The top seed, Sabalenka, showcased her dominance over Elina Svitolina with a score of 6-2, 6-3 on Thursday night, bringing her one win closer to a third Australian Open title in four years.
In the final, the Belarusian will face fifth seed Elena Rybakina, who overcame sixth seed Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6 (7). Rybakina was the 2022 Wimbledon champion and the runner-up to Sabalenka at the Australian Open in 2023.
All four semifinalists reached this stage without dropping a set—a first in Australia in 56 years. Both Sabalenka and Svitolina entered with 10-match winning streaks after claiming titles in preparatory events.
Sabalenka maintained her winning momentum, firing 19 winners and breaking Svitolina’s serve twice in the first set, ultimately concluding the match with 29 winners compared to her opponent’s 12.
As is customary in matches between Ukrainians and players from Russia or Belarus, no handshake occurred at the net, and there was no group photo before the contest.
Sabalenka has become the third woman in the Open era to reach four consecutive singles finals at the Australian Open, following in the footsteps of Evonne Goolagong and Martina Hingis.
“It’s an amazing achievement, but the job isn’t finished yet,” a visibly emotional Sabalenka stated in her on-court TV interview. “I’ve observed her game closely. [Svitolina] was exceptional. I felt I needed to intensify the pressure on her. I’m pleased my level was high; I believe I played excellent tennis.”
The only incident came at the beginning of the fourth game. A hindrance call indicates a distraction that hinders a player’s ability to hit a shot, possibly due to an opponent’s noise.
Umpire Louise Azemar Engzell ruled that Sabalenka emitted an elongated grunt after mishitting a forehand. even if the shot seemed over, it landed in, allowing Svitolina to continue play. The umpire intervened at this point.
Sabalenka requested a video review, but the point penalty remained, as Azemar Engzell affirmed that the grunt was indeed longer than usual.
yet, this didn’t deter Sabalenka for long. She broke serve in that game and dominated for much of the match thereafter.
Svitolina’s sole break of serve occurred at the start of the second set, but Sabalenka quickly bounced back, securing the next five games in a row.
After reaching her first semifinal in Australia and earning a title at a warm-up event in New Zealand, Svitolina will return to the top 10 for the first time since her maternity break in 2022.
The title in Auckland marked her return to the tour following an early end to the 2025 season due to a mental health hiatus. She noted that this break has extended her career.
“I’m absolutely thrilled with these two weeks here and in New Zealand, as well, with the win,” she expressed. “I’m disappointed not to advance tonight, but it’s quite challenging when you’re up against the world No. 1 who’s truly in form.”
Svitolina participated in her fourth major semifinal – previously in 2019 and 2023 at Wimbledon and at the 2019 U.S. Open – but once again fell short of reaching the championship match.
“Today was quite complicated for me,” she reflected, “but I aim to focus on the positives from these past weeks and carry that momentum into the season.”
