"It’s dark days, grey days, with so much negativity" - Svitolina injects much-needed positivity in Ukraine after Australian Open semi-final run

It has been a cracking opening few weeks in 2026 for Elina Svitolina, whose Australian Open journey comes to an end in the semi-final stage against Aryna Sabalenka in a 6-2, 6-3 defeat. She commented on how good her opponent was while also unveiling her motivation to compete for her country on the big stage, saying how sport brings out 'great emotions' in the country.

She had defeated a huge variety of big names, including top 10 players such as Mirra Andreeva and Coco Gauff to get to a maiden Australian Open semi-final, but Sabalenka was one step too far.

"I mean, definitely very, very happy with the two weeks here, and in New Zealand as well, winning," she began in her press conference. "Of course, gutted to not make it through tonight, but yeah, it’s of course very difficult when you’re playing the World No. 1 who’s really on fire. So, yeah, it was really complicated for me today. But I just want to take the positives from the past weeks, the beginning of the year, and carry them through for the season."

It is never easy to play the world number one, especially in a place where she has found so much success. "I thought a little bit that I could play better," she admitted. "I played good tennis. I wouldn’t say the score shows exactly what it was. I think I could have held a couple more times on my serve. The serve was not as good as I wanted it to be, so I could have put a bit more pressure on her. I feel like when she was starting to serve each time in the set, she was always ahead."

There were moments that she found herself in control, most notably at the start of the second set when she had a break advantage. "I was 2–0 up, but then she came back quickly. So I wasn’t putting enough pressure on her with my serve. Of course, when you play players like that, you don’t have too much time to waste. We’re in the late stages of the tournament, so everybody is super focused and super ready."

The fine margins against the best players in the world prove to be pivotal. "These are small things I wish I could have done better, but I don’t want to focus too much on them," she said. "I think I played good tennis today and over the past three weeks, so I just want to take those positives and move forward."

She was critical about her serve, but once more linked it to the fact that she was playing Sabalenka. "To be fair, I thought I was returning quite well today. I think my serve was not great at all. I think I was returning well, but then her second shot was unbelievable. She was returning quick, and then she had another punch coming, the second shot after her serve. That’s why she’s World No. 1. Great tournament as well."

This was Svitolina's first loss of 2026. After taking some time off at the end of 2025, she has comeback to the sport rejuvenated and fresh, bang in form. She won the ASB Classic title over in Auckland before making her way to Melbourne, and continued to pick up positive results.

She was pleased with her overall game in this time period. "I think my movement has been quite good. I was adjusting well to different playing styles," she explained. "I think I was playing well against different styles, adjusting my game and my footwork. I feel I’m in good form. I can definitely draw confidence from this and look forward to the upcoming tournaments."

While the wins are piling in, there is still work to do for the 31-year-old. "We’re just two or maybe three weeks into the year. Of course, there are a few things I want to improve. I want to do better and really challenge these kinds of players, the top players. I feel like I’m not too far away in some moments, but there’s still a lot of work to do and lots of things to improve."

The Ukrainian was not set to halt the praise for Sabalenka. "I think tonight we played a couple of times before, so I knew a little bit what to expect. I thought my level was quite good as well. She feels very comfortable here on these courts. Of course, she’s won here a couple of times. She has confidence playing here."

There were parts of her game which could have been better, but she was overpowered by the class of Sabalenka. "Some things that I thought could work didn’t really work tonight, less than I expected," she stated. "As I mentioned, I wish I could have put more pressure on her with my serve. I think she had an answer for everything today. I watched a couple of her matches in earlier rounds — it was different players — but today she played really well."

It did not help that she stayed at a very high level all night. "There were no drops in her level. I tried my very best with the intensity. I was really trying to find opportunities, but it didn’t happen."

A possible return to the sport for Serena Williams has been rumoured for some time now, but it has gone back up again after the 23-time Grand Slam champion did an interview where she did not give a conclusive answer on her comeback.

Svitolina would certainly be a fan of that happening. "Really? I didn’t hear that. It would be amazing for the sport, definitely," she claimed. "She’s such a great champion and has achieved so much. She’s done so much for our sport and has been an inspiration for women around the world. It would be a great story, for sure."

It is never nice to lose a Grand Slam semi-final whilst getting close to finally reaching a final, but in the end, Svitolina was not too down in the dumps. "Of course, I’m still disappointed that I didn’t go further," she acknowledged. "But I feel like I should not allow myself to really be sad. I’m in a great position. From a personal perspective, I have this amazing opportunity to play on centre court here, represent my country, and do it in a decent way. I have the opportunity to use my voice and be there for my people."

She was doing it for her country, which drives her to get positive results. "For the past weeks, they’ve really been carrying me through with great vibes and emotions," she said. "That really motivates me. When I wake up in the morning, I see terrifying news, but then I see people watching the matches and writing comments. It’s like a big exchange of positive emotions. I cannot complain. There are people living a horrible and terrifying life in Ukraine. I’m a very, very lucky person."

While there are some dreadful things currently occurring in Ukraine, Svitolina was always looking for the positive moments as she represented Ukraine on the biggest stage. "I think it’s about the little happy moments we share together. I was able to play well and send little messages back to Ukraine. There are lots of people following the matches and supporting me. This exchange of positivity really helps people — that’s the feedback I get."

Svitolina believes that sport is a way of reuniting the people in Ukraine, helping them get through these touch times." For me, it’s something unbelievable. I try to do what’s in my power and what speaks to my heart for them. It can be through my foundation or fundraising platforms — different ways — but it’s important to me. When I go back to Ukraine, I see people stuck in a routine. It’s dark days, grey days, with so much negativity. I think sport in general really unites Ukraine as a people and brings great emotions. It’s very much needed for our country."