Sabalenka powers into Australian Open final with dominant display
First set: Sabalenka takes early control
Aryna Sabalenka made a furious start to the first women’s semifinal, breaking early and racing to a 3–1 lead before securing another break to close the opening set 6–2.
With her precise and powerful groundstrokes, Sabalenka imposed complete control, leaving Elina Svitolina without answers. The Belarusian struck an impressive 18 winners in the first set compared to just seven from Svitolina, a gap that clearly reflected the difference in intensity and execution.
Despite such a high winner count, Sabalenka maintained remarkable control, committing only nine unforced errors, while Svitolina finished the set with eight — an unusual but telling statistic that underlined Sabalenka’s efficiency.
Second set: Momentum shift halted
Svitolina responded strongly at the start of the second set, breaking serve immediately and backing it up with a confident hold to suggest a potential momentum shift.
However, Sabalenka quickly reasserted herself, producing two consecutive breaks to move ahead 4–2. From that point on, she remained unshakeable on serve, closing out the match and booking her place in the Australian Open final.
Winning streaks and final berth secured
The victory brought an end to Svitolina’s impressive run of 12 consecutive wins, while Sabalenka extended her own streak to ten straight victories.
Her dominant Australian swing continues after opening the season in emphatic fashion by defeating Marta Kostyuk in the Brisbane final, underlining her status as one of the leading contenders for the title in Melbourne.
For broader context on the stakes and significance of this semifinal stage, read our full Australian Open 2026: Day 12 Preview.
By Hameltion – This image has been extracted from another file, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=151890584
By Hameltion – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=143827206