Australian Open: Swiatek and Rybakina tee up blockbuster quarter-final

Iga Swiatek will take on Elena Rybakina in a mouthwatering Australian Open quarter-final after the duo claimed routine wins on Monday.

Swiatek eased to a 6-0 6-3 over home hope Maddison Inglis, ending the latter's dream run at Melbourne Park.

Inglis did break Swiatek's serve in the first game of the second set, but the Pole swiftly got back on top to see out a comfortable triumph.

Next up will be in-form Rybakina, who has now won 17 out of her last 18 Tour-level matches after beating Elise Mertens 6-1 6-3.

Rybakina needed less than 80 minutes to wrap up the victory, which she sealed at the second time of asking.

The reigning WTA Finals champion, who is into the last eight of a major for the first time since 2024, broke four times, while only offering

Mertens one chance to break back, which the Belgian failed to take.

6 - Iga Swiatek is the youngest player to reach the quarterfinals in six consecutive Women’s Singles Majors since Serena Williams between Roland Garros 2002 and Wimbledon 2003. Groove. #AusOpen | @AustralianOpen @WTA @iga_swiatek pic.twitter.com/XTCq1YYD9S

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) January 26, 2026

Data Debrief: Swiatek equals Serena

Swiatek is the youngest woman to reach the quarter-finals in six consecutive grand slams since Serena Williams between the 2002 French Open and Wimbledon the following year.

She is also the youngest woman to claim 50 hard-court wins at the majors since Caroline Wozniacki at the 2014 US Open.

The word number two has now reeled off 33 6-0 sets in grand slam matches since her major debut in 2019. That is 22 more than any other player in that time, with Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff joint-second on 11 each.