Aryna Sabalenka is headed to the Australian Open final. The world No. 1 reached her fourth consecutive Australian Open final with a straight sets demolition of Elina Svitolina, keeping her perfect 2026 record intact and setting up a championship showdown on Saturday.
Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina entered the semifinal unbeaten in 2026, each with a 10–0 start. But on Thursday night, there was no contest. Sabalenka has yet to drop a set this tournament and has tallied 143 winners across her first five matches, more than any player remaining in the draw. The 27-year-old Sabalenka crushed Svitolina's hopes in a furious display of raw power.
This victory adds to Sabalenka's historic achievement. 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). Now she's chasing a potential third title in Melbourne.
For 31-year-old Svitolina, this loss was bittersweet. It's her first Australian Open semifinal in her 13th appearance, and she's never been past the final four in three previous tries at majors. "Gutted not to make it through tonight," Svitolina told reporters. Still, her path to the semifinal was impressive—she defeated American Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals, continuing a strong start to the season.
Sabalenka will face Elena Rybakina in Saturday's final, with a chance to etch her name even deeper into Australian Open history. Follow all the tennis drama from the Australian Open as the tournament builds toward its conclusion.