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Aryna Sabalenka is now just one match away from claiming her third career title at the Australian Open after emphatically dispatching No. 12 seed Elina Svitolina under the lights on Rod Laver Arena.

The top seed broke through Svitolina’s rock-solid defense to secure a 6-2, 6-3 victory on Thursday, powering into her fourth consecutive Australian Open final. Sabalenka lifted back-to-back titles in Melbourne before finishing runner-up to Madison Keys last year.

“I don’t like to compare myself to, like, I don’t know, even yesterday,” Sabalenka said in her post-match press conference. “…But if you ask how I feel right now, I feel good about my tennis. I feel like everything that I have been working during the preseason is working. I’m happy with that and I’m just taking it one day at a time.”

Svitolina, 31, was contesting her fourth Grand Slam semifinal and seeking a maiden major final.

Sabalenka entered the clash leading their head-to-head 5-1, though Svitolina carried added motivation as Ukraine’s top-ranked woman facing the Belarusian world No. 1.

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It was a meeting between two of the most in-form players of 2026. Both came into the semifinal with 10-0 records to start the season—Sabalenka after winning the WTA 500 in Brisbane, and Svitolina after claiming the WTA 250 title in Auckland—and neither had dropped a set en route to the final four.

On Thursday in Melbourne, Sabalenka looked locked in from the outset. She received a hindrance call early on at 2-1, though Svitolina showed little reaction to her opponent's extended grunt.

It only seemed to ignite Sabalenka, who broke serve emphatically soon after and only grew more dominant as the match wore on.

"I mean, I think it was the wrong call, but whatever," the top seed said afterward. "She really—how do I say in a nice way? She really pissed me off, and it's actually help me and benefit my game. I was more aggressive.

"I was not happy with the call, and it really helped me to get that game."

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She repeatedly pressured Svitolina’s serve and earned break points to extend her lead to 5-1. Though Svitolina fended those off, Sabalenka broke again to seal the opening set. She struck 19 winners to Svitolina’s seven in the first frame and carried that aggression into the second.

Svitolina managed an early break in the second set, but Sabalenka immediately responded, breaking straight back to regain control. From there, the world No. 1 surged to victory in one hour and 23 minutes.

Sabalenka will face No. 5 seed Elena Rybakina in a rematch of the 2023 Australian Open final. Rybakina took down No. 6 seed Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6 (7) in the second semifinal to advance.

"I think I'm not going to look at that final, because me and her, we both are different players," Sabalenka said. "We went through different things. We're much stronger mental and physically, and we're playing better tennis now.

"So I will approach this as completely different match, and we have long history after that final. So I'll approach this match as the very first one, and I will do my very best."

For Svitolina, there will be some consolation as she's set to return to the Top 10 next week for the first time since October 2021.

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