Aryna Sabalenka vs Elina Svitolina prediction, betting tips & odds, head-to-head, preview: Australian Open 2026
Sabalenka and Svitolina remain undefeated in 2026 ahead of their semi-final meet.
Aryna Sabalenka is the only Australian Open champion remaining in the fray after a straight-set victory over Iva Jovic. The top seed is yet to drop a set at the 2026 Australian Open following the 6-3, 6-0 over Svitolina on Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday.
Sabalenka remains on track to reclaim the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after booking passage to her fourth consecutive semi-final at Melbourne Park.
The numbers are a testament to Sabalenka’s domination of the 18-year-old Jovic. The World No. 1 finished with 31 winners and 7 aces, forcing Jovic into submission in 90 minutes.
Jovic, the youngest player in the WTA’s Top 100, is all set to make her WTA Top 20 debut following her quarter-final run at AO 2026.
The teenager nearly broke Sabalenka’s serve in the first set. Across 11 minutes of play in the ninth game, Jovic carved out three breakpoints and saved two set points before finally relinquishing the set to the World No. 1.
Elina Svitolina downed Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-2 to advance to her first Australian Open semi-finals. The Ukrainian needed just 59 minutes to eliminate Gauff and extend her unbeaten streak to 10 this season.
Svitolina’s 27-year-old rival and top seed Sabalenka also remains unbeaten with a 10-0 record in the season.
The Ukrainian’s scorching performance matched the heat from the Melbourne sun as she dispatched two-time Grand Slam champion Gauff in ruthless fashion, leaving only two American women left in the singles draw.
The 31-year-old Svitolina is playing her 13th singles main draw at Melbourne Park. She is the second-oldest woman after Mirjana Lucic to make a semi-final debut at the Australian Open.
Svitolina will return to the WTA Top 10 after her victory over Gauff for the first time since October 2021. The Ukrainian No. 12 seed broke Gauff’s serve 12 times across the match. An off-key Gauff five double faults and 26 unforced errors to let Svitolina even their head-to-head at 2-2.
Match details
- Tournament: Australian Open 2026
- Round: Quarterfinal
- Date: January 29
- Venue: Melbourne, Australia
- Surface: Hard Court
Preview
Either Sabalenka or Svitolina shall see their unbeaten streak come to an end on Thursday when they square off in the semi-final round. Their first clash of the season was made possible by Gauff bowing out in the last eight.
Sabalenka leads their head-to-head 5-1, with the Belarusian holding a 2-0 advantage on hardcourts against Svitolina. The last time Svitolina defeated the top seed was on the clay courts of Strasbourg in 2020.
Svitolina defeated two Top 10 players consecutively to reach the semi-finals and has yet to drop a set. Mirra Andreeva was the first of the two in the fourth round, followed by Gauff in the last eight.
Sabalenka, too, has been in excellent form all week and has not lost a set until now in AO 2026. The Belarusian found herself occasionally tested by unexpected sources – Anastasia Potapova and Victoria Mboko, who both forced the top seed into tiebreaks.
Form
- Aryna Sabalenka: W-W-W-W-W
- Elina Svitolina: W-W-W-W-
Head-to-head record
- Matches: 6
- Aryna Sabalenka: 5
- Elina Svitolina: 1
Stats
Aryna Sabalenka
- Sabalenka has a 10-0 win-loss record in the 2026 season
- Sabalenka has a 33-6 win-loss record at the Australian Open
- Sabalenka has won 74% of matches played on hard courts
Elina Svitolina
- Svitolina has a 10-0 win-loss record in the 2026 season
- Svitolina has a 34-12 win-loss record at the Australian Open
- Svitolina has won 65% of matches played on hard courts
Aryna Sabalenka vs Elina Svitolina: Betting tips and odds
- Moneyline: Sabalenka: -357, Svitolina +292
- Spread: Sabalenka -4.5 (-102), Svitolina +4.5 (-106)
- Total Games: Over 21 (-106), Under 22.5 (-150)
- 1st Set Winner: Sabalenka -255, Svitolina +211
Match prediction
It remains to be seen who will blink first when the two hard hitters take to court on Thursday. Given Svitolina’s recent form, she could deliver the first major upset of the 2026 Australian Open.
Both Svitolina and Sabalenka began their respective 2026 campaigns on a winning note. Svitolina claimed the ASB Classic in Auckland, while Sabalenka is fresh off defending her title in Brisbane.
Sabalenka’s serve remains a potent weapon, and her ability to dictate from the baseline has aided her deep runs.
Svitolina has the ability to defend and counterpunch, as seen in the quarter-finals when she absorbed the pace and redirected it back to Gauff. This could trouble the two-time Australian Open champion and force Sabalenka into giving away free points.
Result: Elina Svitolina to win in three sets.
Where and how to watch live telecast and live streaming of Aryna Sabalenka vs Elina Svitolina, semi-final match at Australian Open 2026?
The semi-final will be broadcast on the Sony Network for Indian viewers. Residents of the United States can tune in to the Tennis Channel and ESPN. Fans in the United Kingdom can stream the match on Eurosport.
For worldwide broadcast details click here
Where and when will Aryna Sabalenka vs Elina Svitolina semi-final match take place?
The women’s singles semi-final clash will be held at the Rod Laver Arena on January 29 (Thursday). It is scheduled to begin at 7:30 pm local time and 2:00 pm in India.
What is the head-to-head record between Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina?
They have clashed six time on tour previously and the Belarusian leads the h2h record with five wins. In fact, Svitolina’s only win over Sabalenka came way back in 2020.
What happened in the most recent meeting between Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina?
Their most recent match was at the semi-finals in Madrid Open, where Sabalenka defeated he Ukrainian 6-3, 7-5.
For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram
Meet Fazeel—a bibliophile and sci-fi aficionado who devours books and movies alike. His favorite form of exercise? Watching tennis from a perfectly positioned couch. Whether he's lost in a gripping novel or absorbed in a five-hour Grand Slam final, he's all in. Favorite quote: “You cannot be serious” – John McEnroe.