Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina made Australian Open headlines in 2026 by emphatically beating third seed Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-2 in the quarterfinals, earning her first semifinal berth at the tournament and fourth in Grand Slams.
Over 59 minutes, Svitolina’s aggressive precision outclassed Gauff’s error-prone display. Strong service pressure and double faults from Gauff handed early breaks, allowing Svitolina’s baseline firepower to claim the first set 6-1.
Though Gauff rallied with wide serves in the second, Svitolina broke five times overall, maintaining unbreakable focus to clinch victory.
Now on a 10-match win streak—her third-best—Svitolina builds on her Auckland triumph (19th WTA title) and set-perfect run in Melbourne. Ranked 12th, she’s backed by husband Gael Monfils and set for Top-10 re-entry next week.
This is her 24th Top-5 win, with four at Slams since maternity leave, highlighting her comeback story.
Facing No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in Thursday’s semis, Svitolina eyes a historic Grand Slam final in a matchup brimming with intensity and star power.