Aryna Sabalenka Faces Svitolina Roadblock In Melbourne Final Quest

Top-seeded Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka is set to face a Ukrainian obstacle in her quest for a fourth consecutive Australian Open final on Thursday. The determined 27-year-old, who won the Melbourne title

in 2023 and 2024, was thwarted last year by Madison Keys in the final, leaving her devastated and eager to achieve victory this time.

“Every player approaches the tournament with a ‘trophy or nothing’ mentality,” Sabalenka said, looking ahead to her match against 12th seed Elina Svitolina. “The mindset is always that you want to win.”

Sabalenka and Svitolina have met six times previously, with Sabalenka emerging victorious in five of those encounters. Despite her dominant record, Sabalenka remains cautious of the threat posed by Svitolina, who is aiming for her first major final.

“I’ll focus on myself and my game, fighting for every point,” said Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam champion.

Svitolina, like other Ukrainian players, does not shake hands with Russian and Belarusian opponents, including Sabalenka. She surprised third seed Coco Gauff in the last round and hopes her performance will bring some solace to Ukrainians enduring a harsh winter amidst the conflict with Russia. Reaching her first Australian Open final would be a significant achievement for both her and her homeland.

“It’s a big challenge to play the world number one,” Svitolina acknowledged. “She’s a very powerful and consistent player. I’ll need to be prepared and look for opportunities in her game.”

Their match will be followed by American sixth seed Jessica Pegula taking on fifth seed Elena Rybakina. The Moscow-born Kazakh Rybakina, who reached the Melbourne final in 2023, losing to Sabalenka, is also the 2022 Wimbledon champion, bringing considerable big-match experience.

Pegula, aiming for her first Slam crown at 31, faces a formidable opponent in Rybakina, who has knocked out Keys and fourth seed Amanda Anisimova, and boasts a victory over second seed Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals.

“She’s tough to play, with a massive serve and powerful groundstrokes,” Pegula said of Rybakina. “She’s been playing great tennis, but I aim to crack the code on her.”

The action starts on Rod Laver Arena in the evening.