Australian Open 2026: Elena Rybakina sets records with semi-final berth
What's the story
Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina stunned second seed Iga Swiatek to reach the 2026 Australian Open semi-final. Rybakina defeated the Polish star 7-5, 6-1 in the women's singles quarter-final at Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday. With this victory, Rybakina ended Swiatek's bid for a career Grand Slam, as she has not yet won the Australian Open. Notably, Rybakina is the first player to beat Swiatek multiple times at a Grand Slam.
Match analysis
Rybakina's strategy and performance
Rybakina, who displayed her power and precision in the 95-minute match, fired 11 aces compared to Swiatek's three. "We know each other pretty well, and I was just trying to stay aggressive," she said after the match. The Kazakh player also revealed that both players struggled with their first serves initially. Notably, Raybakina had a win percentage of 79 on her first serve in the match.
Previous victories
Second Australian Open semi-final
Rybakina has reached only her second Australian Open semi-final. She was the 2023 AO runner-up, losing the final to Aryna Sabalenka. In the ongoing tournament, she has won all her matches in straight sets despite not feeling at her best initially. Rybakina is currently 19-6 at the Australian Open and 64-22 at Grand Slams. Her only Major title came in 2022 (Wimbledon).
Meetings
Rybakina, Swiatek level in WTA meetings
Earlier, Swiatek became the youngest player to reach six consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals since Serena Williams at the 2003 Wimbledon. However, Rybakina had other plans as she stepped up her aggression after a shaky start. Notably, Rybakina and Swiatek are now level (6-6) in the WTA head-to-head meetings. Last year, the former prevailed in the WTA Finals.
Records
Rybakina reaches these landmarks
According to Opta, Rybakina won her eighth consecutive WTA top 10 match, the most for any player representing an Asian country since the format's introduction in 1990. As mentioned, Rybakina is the first player to defeat Swiatek multiple times at a Grand Slam. She also beat Swiatek at the 2023 Australian Open. Moreover, Rybakina has become the only player with a win over both Swiatek and Sabalenka at multiple WTA-level events.