Want to take positives and carry them through the season, says Svitolina

Melbourne: Elina Svitolina left Melbourne Park without a place in the Australian Open final, but not without renewed belief in where her game is headed. The Ukrainian’s run at the Australian Open 2026 came to an end on Thursday with a 6-2, 6-3 semifinal loss to World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka.

It was Svitolina’s first appearance in the last four at the Australian Open, and despite the straight-sets scoreline, she emerged determined to focus on progress rather than disappointment.

“(I’m) definitely very, very happy with the two weeks here and in New Zealand as well...it's of course very difficult when you're playing world No.1. But (I) just want to take positives from the past weeks and the beginning of the year and just carry them through the season,” Svitolina said in her post-match press conference.

The 31-year-old acknowledged that her serve let her down against Sabalenka, calling it “not great”, but felt other parts of her game were working. “To be fair, I thought I was returning today quite well. I think I was returning well, but then her second shot was unbelievable. She was returning well quickly, and then she had another punch coming, the second shot after her serve,” she said.

While the defeat may linger in the short term, Svitolina’s semifinal showing underlined the steady upward trajectory of her form. This year marked her 13th appearance at the Australian Open, and she surpassed her previous best results at the tournament. Prior to 2026, her deepest runs in Melbourne came in 2018, 2019, and 2025, when she reached the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champion Madison Keys.

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