Aryna Sabalenka is back in the final of the Australian Open. The world number one from Belarus defeated the Ukrainian Yelina Svitolina 6:2, 6:3 in the first semi-final.
29.01.2026, 11:04
29.01.2026, 11:09
SDA
Sabalenka and Svitolina were two players who had reached the last four without losing a set. On her way to her first semi-final in the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, the Ukrainian defeated the American Coco Gauff, the world No. 3, and the Russian Mirra Andreyeva, the No. 7.
The wife of Frenchman Gaël Monfils and mother of a daughter defended herself to the best of her ability against Sabalenka's powerful game - and at times also raised hopes of a coup and reaching the final of a major event for the first time. At the beginning of the second set, in contrast to her two opportunities in the very first game, she took the chance to break service and was 2:0 up.
However, her hopes did not last long. Sabalenka responded promptly and took her opponent's serve twice in a row. It was the decisive turning point in a largely one-sided match. In the seventh duel, the winner was Sabalenka for the sixth time.
Sabalenka reached the final of the Australian Open for the fourth time in a row. After winning the first two, she was surprisingly beaten by the American Madison Keys last year.
On Saturday, the Belarusian will be playing for her fifth Grand Slam tournament win in total; she has also won the US Open in the last two years. Her opponent in the Rod Laver Arena will either be Keys' compatriot Jessica Pegula or Kazakhstan's Yelena Rybakina.
