Elina Svitolina aims to bring ‘light’ to war-torn Ukraine as she targets first Australian Open final

A highly anticipated clash awaits at the Australian Open women's semi-finals as Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina prepare to face off, a match imbued with a significant geopolitical backdrop.

Top-ranked Sabalenka, a 27-year-old from Belarus, is aiming for her third title in four years at the tournament, having secured back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024. Known for her engaging presence on TikTok, she brings a formidable game to the court.

Her opponent, 31-year-old Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, makes a remarkable return to the top 10 next week, her first since a maternity break in 2022.

Svitolina secured her maiden Australian Open semi-final berth with a dominant 59-minute victory over third seed Coco Gauff, ending a streak of three quarter-final exits at Melbourne Park.

Both players frequently address questions regarding Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, consistently expressing a desire for the focus to remain on tennis.

Svitolina, in particular, aims to bring a sense of joy to her compatriots. "It's very close to my heart to see a lot of support from Ukrainians," she stated. "So I feel like (I) bring this light, a little light, you know, even just positive news to Ukrainian people, to my friends when they are watching."

Sabalenka, for her part, has voiced support for peace. The established protocol sees Ukrainian players refraining from shaking hands with Russian or Belarusian opponents post-match, a practice understood by both sides.

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Entering the season's first major, both athletes are on impressive 10-match winning streaks in 2026, having claimed warm-up titles – Sabalenka in Brisbane and Svitolina in Auckland, her 19th career title, following a mental health break that ended her 2025 season early.

Sabalenka, who also boasts back-to-back US Open triumphs in 2024 and 2025, holds a 5-1 career advantage over Svitolina and is making her 14th major semifinal appearance, having reached seven finals.

Svitolina acknowledged Sabalenka's prowess, saying: "It's no secret that she’s a very powerful player. I watched a little bit of her (quarter-final) match. She was playing great tennis, and I think, the power on all aspects of her game is her strengths.

“She’s very consistent. For me, I’ll have to... try to find the ways and the little holes, little opportunities in her game. When you play the top players, you have to find these small opportunities and then be ready to take them."

This marks Svitolina's fourth major semi-final, having reached the last four at Wimbledon in 2019 and 2023, and the US Open in 2019, as she seeks her first Grand Slam final.

Sabalenka, who played her quarter-final against 18-year-old Iva Jovic before the Rod Laver Arena roof closed due to heat, expressed her readiness for the challenge.

"It's going to be a battle," she predicted. "Because whoever makes it there, it’s an incredible player. I think my approach going to be the same. Doesn’t matter who I’m facing. I’ll just go, and I’ll be focused on myself and on my game."

In the other women's semi-final, sixth seed Jessica Pegula will face 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.

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Pegula secured her spot by overcoming fellow American Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 7-6 (1), having previously defeated 2025 champion Madison Keys.

Pegula is now hoping to emulate Keys' success and claim her maiden Grand Slam title.

"I’ve been waiting for the time when I can kind of break through," Pegula commented. "I feel like I really play some good tennis here and I like the conditions."

Rybakina, representing Kazakhstan, advanced with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over second-ranked Iga Swiatek, ending the Pole's bid for a career Grand Slam this year.

Reflecting on her experience, Rybakina said: "Now I’m more calm. In the beginning, when it’s the first final and you go so far in the tournament, of course you are more emotional.

“Now I feel like I’m just doing my job, trying to improve each day. So it’s kind of another day, another match."