“It’s a big challenge to play the number one in the world”: Elina Svitolina explains plan vs Aryna Sabalenka

Elina Svitolina celebrated after reaching a new Grand Slam semifinal — the fourth of her career — after defeating Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 victory. The 31-year-old Ukrainian will now look to reach her first major final against none other than world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Thursday, January 29.

The 31-year-old player continues a remarkable start-of-season streak, which now stands at 10–0 (20–1 in sets played). In Melbourne, she already claimed her second consecutive top-10 victory, following her win over Mirra Andreeva in the fourth round, and with the imposing level she has been showing, the experienced Ukrainian continues to dream of a Grand Slam title.

“Yes, it was a good day in the office. I’m very pleased with the way I’ve been playing—not only this match, but the tournament overall,” she commented in press conference about her match against Gauff. “I’m just very happy. I’m happy to finally win a quarterfinal here after so many years and so many tries. Finally being in the semifinals in Melbourne means a lot.”

The former world No. 3 took full advantage of a difficult day for Gauff, who struggled with inconsistency — committing five double faults, winning just 41% of points on her first serve and 18% on her second. In addition, Gauff finished with a total of 26 unforced errors and only three winners.

Svitolina acknowledged that there is extra pressure when an opponent begins to play erratically. “It adds a bit of pressure,” she mentioned. “It’s a good feeling and a bad feeling at the same time because you feel like you have a chance to play well and a chance to win the match, but you still have to keep going. You have to keep trying to perform well.”

“I think I played well and dealt with it well. Coco is such a great champion. She has come back a couple of times in our matches, whether she was a set up or a set down. For me, I tried to keep building, keep playing well, and really stay focused from the start until the end.”

Svitolina is now just one match away from playing her first Grand Slam final, but she admitted in press conference that she avoids looking too far ahead. “To be fair, I don’t really look that far ahead. I try to take it step by step,” she said. “It’s going to be another big challenge. Of course, I’m one step away from the final, but for me it’s important to focus on my recovery and on the tactical things I have to work on tomorrow. I just want to be ready for a big challenge.”

The semifinal challenge will not be easy against Aryna Sabalenka, two-time Australian Open champion and runner-up in 2025. They have faced each other six times, with five wins for Sabalenka and only one for Svitolina, back in Strasbourg 2020. However, only two of those six matches were played on hard courts — both won by Sabalenka.

If facing Sabalenka is already one of the most difficult challenges on the WTA Tour, doing so in Melbourne adds an extra layer of difficulty, as it is one of the favorite stages for the four-time Grand Slam champion. Svitolina at least admitted that, for now, she does not yet have a clear plan to challenge the world No. 1.

“Tomorrow I’ll take time to talk with my coach about a few tactical things I need to work on on the practice court,” she said. “I also have a day to recover physically. Even though today’s match was under one hour, it still takes quite a bit from your body. For me, recovery and preparation will be the priorities. Of course, it’s a big challenge to play the number one in the world.”

For Svitolina, the key aspect to control will be her rival’s power and strength to dominate rallies, and to try to play an aggressive game that prevents Sabalenka from taking control of the rhythm of the match. “It’s no secret that she’s a very powerful player. I watched a little bit of her match today, and she was playing great tennis,” Svitolina stated. “The power in all aspects of her game is her strength.”

“She’s been very consistent over the past years with everything she does on the court,” Svitolina added. “For me, I’ll have to be ready for that and try to find the little holes and small opportunities in her game. When you play top players, you have to find those small chances and be ready to take them.”

The Ukrainian is one of the most experienced players on tour, and perhaps one of the most accomplished players without a Grand Slam title who has the credentials to finally chase her first. A former No. 3 and winner of 19 WTA titles, including four WTA 1000 trophies and the WTA Finals in 2018, Svitolina believes that at 31 years old, she is a better player than she was seven or eight years ago.

“I would say yes, but I also have the experience from previous years. I can’t take away credit from what I achieved back then. Winning the WTA Finals and playing against great players was a big achievement for me,” she mentioned. “Without those achievements, I wouldn’t be who I am right now. For me, it’s about finding new ways to win. There are so many young and aggressive players now, and if you’re not at your best, they can take the match from you.”

“You have to evolve your game. You have to be better and find what works for you,” Svitolina added. “For me, it’s about trying to be better every week because tennis evolution never stops. You always have to keep searching.”

Back in 2025, Svitolina was fighting closely for a place in the top 10, but her final tournaments of the year were far from the expected results. She lost in her opening matches at the Cincinnati Open and the US Open, and decided to end her season early, taking time off to recover and reset ahead of 2026.

“It was a difficult decision on one hand. But I spoke with my team, with Gaël, and with my family, and we found many positives,” Svitolina commented. “I mentioned earlier that if I hadn’t stopped and kept pushing last year, I don’t think I would be here now. I would have been exhausted, and I’m not even sure I would have been injury-free. When you play at the highest level and push yourself to the edge, that’s when injuries happen and when the tension becomes too much.”

“For me, it was important to step back, and I’m very happy that I did. Of course, it’s easy to say now because the results have been great—winning Auckland and playing well here—but I still believe it helped me. I have no regrets about taking that time.”

The Ukrainian has now secured her return to the top 10 for the first time since 2021 — one year before she paused her career due to pregnancy. The 31-year-old will have the chance to keep climbing positions if she continues adding victories. Against Sabalenka, she will chase her first major final this Thursday.