Australian Open: Sabalenka soars past Svitolina and into fourth straight final

Aryna Sabalenka cruised into her fourth successive Australian Open final, following a dominant 6-2 6-3 victory over Elina Svitolina.

The world number one wrapped up yet another straight-sets win in 76 minutes

at Melbourne Park, where she will play either Jessica Pegula or Elena Rybakina in Saturday's championship match.

Aryna Sabalenka makes her eighth straight semi-final entry

Sabalenka was appearing in her eighth consecutive major semi-final on hard courts, and landed the first blow when she broke in the fourth game of the opening set.

The two-time champion was penalised for hindrance at the start of the fifth, but responded to the setback by eventually seeing out the first set in 41 minutes.

Svitolina, appearing in her first Australian Open semi-final in her 13th main-draw appearance, responded well at the start of the second set, breaking in the opening game before taking a 2-0 lead.

However, Sabalenka came roaring back by reeling off the next five games. Although the Ukrainian stopped the rot to keep the match alive, the world number one swiftly booked her place in yet another Melbourne final.

7 - Aryna Sabalenka is just the third player in the Open Era to reach 7+ consecutive Women's Singles Fs at GS events on hard court, after Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis. Pantheon.#AusOpen | @AustralianOpen @WTA pic.twitter.com/EqjReLaI9S

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) January 29, 2026

Data Debrief: Sabalenka matches Hingis and Graf

Sabalenka is just the third player in the Open Era to reach four or more consecutive women's singles finals at the Australian Open, after Evonne Goolagong and Martina Hingis.

She is also only the third player to reach seven straight women's singles finals at hard-court majors in the Open Era, following Hingis and Steffi Graf.

Sabalenka is through to her eighth WTA-level final on Australian soil. Since 2000, only Serena Williams (11) and Justine Henin (10) have reached more.