MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) 鈥� Naturally there’ll be attention on the backstory when meet in the Australian Open women’s semifinals.
Top-ranked Sabalenka, who is seeking a third title in four years in Australia, is a 27-year-old from Belarus. for her humorous posts and dance routines.
Svitolina is a 31-year-old Ukrainian who will be returning to the Top 10 next week for the first time since returning from a maternity break she took in 2022. She reached her first Australian Open semifinal with a lopsided win over , needing only 59 minutes to end her run of three quarterfinal losses at Melbourne Park.
They’re both regularly asked questions relating to . Both have regularly said they want the focus to be on tennis. Svitolina is trying to bring joy to the people of Ukraine, of course. Sabalenka said she supports peace.
鈥淚t’s very close to my heart to see a lot of support from Ukrainians,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o 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.鈥�
Players from Ukraine don’t shake hands with players from Russia or Belarus at the net after matches. It’s accepted on both sides.
They’re both on 10-match winning streaks so far in 2026 and entered the season’s first major with titles in warmup tournaments 鈥� Sabalenka in Brisbane, and Svitolina in Auckland, New Zealand, her 19th career title. That was Svitolina’s first foray back after an early end to the 2025 season for a .
Sabalenka, who has 22 career titles including back-to-back Australian championships in 2023 and ’24 and back-to-back U.S. Open triumphs in 2024 and last year, is 5-1 in career meetings with Svitolina. She is into the final 4 at a major for the 14th time, and has made the final seven times.
鈥淚t’s no secret that she鈥檚 a very powerful player. I watched a little bit of her (quarterfinal) match. She was playing great tennis, and I think, the power on all aspects of her game is her strengths,鈥� Svitolina said of Sabalenka. 鈥淪he鈥檚 very consistent. For me, I鈥檒l have to … try to find the ways and the little holes, little opportunities in her game.
鈥淲hen you play the top players, you have to find these small opportunities and then be ready to take them.鈥�
Svitolina is playing her fourth semifinal at a major 鈥� 2019 and 2023 at Wimbledon and the 2019 U.S. Open 鈥� and aiming for her first final.
Sabalenka played her quarterfinal against 18-year-old Iva Jovic before the searing heat forced organizers to close the roof of the Rod Laver Arena stadium on Tuesday. She was long gone before Svitolina and Guaff played under the roof at night. At that stage, she didn’t know who she’d next be playing, but was sure 鈥渋t’s going to be a battle.鈥�
鈥淏ecause whoever makes it there, it鈥檚 an incredible player,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think my approach going to be the same. Doesn鈥檛 matter who I鈥檓 facing.
鈥淚鈥檒l just go, and I鈥檒l be focused on myself and on my game.鈥�
Rybakina-Pegula, 5 vs. 6
when she held off fellow American Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 7-6 (1) to move into a semifinal against 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
Pegula beat 2025 champion in the previous round before ending Anisimova’s run of back-to-back Grand Slam finals.
The sixth-seeded Pegula is hoping to emulate Keys鈥� run here last year and claim her maiden Grand Slam title in Australia.
鈥淚鈥檝e been waiting for the time when I can kind of break through,鈥� Pegula said. 鈥淚 feel like I really play some good tennis here and I like the conditions.鈥�
With a 7-5, 6-1 victory in the center court opener Wednesday, Rybakina, the 2023 Australian Open runner-up, to complete a career Grand Slam 鈥� at least for this year.
Rybakina, who was born in Russia but represents Kazakhstan, said she’d focus on the lessons she’d taken from previous trips to the deciding end of the majors.
鈥淣ow I鈥檓 more calm. In the beginning, when it鈥檚 the first final and you go so far in the tournament, of course you are more emotional,鈥� she said. 鈥淣ow I feel like I鈥檓 just doing my job, trying to improve each day. So it鈥檚 kind of another day, another match.鈥�
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