Who is Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska, who has reached the Australian Open 2024 semi-finals?

Dayana Yastremska is a right-handed star in the world of WTA tennis. She is a 23-year-old Ukrainian player who has just reached the semifinals of the 2024 Australian Open, becoming the second qualifier in the Open Era to achieve such a feat. But wasn't she very good at an even younger age, and how did she suddenly get into the semi-finals of the AO?

Dayana Yastremska winning the Australian Open Quarter-Final 2024 against Linda Noskova

Youth years of Yastremska

Yastremska was born in Odesa, Ukraine, on May 15, 2000. Her father, Alexander, was a volleyball player and a politician. Her mother as we can see sitting in Dayana's box, Marina, is her mental coach. She has a younger sister, Ivanna. She started playing tennis at the age of five, introduced by her granddad Ivan. She entered her first tournament at the age of seven and finished third, despite competing against older kids.

She showed great talent and potential as a junior, reaching the finals of the 12 and under Junior Orange Bowl in 2012. She made the junior Grand Slam singles final at Wimbledon in 2016. She also won two ITF junior titles in singles and one in doubles.

Rise to world No.21 and the fall

Yastremska turned professional in 2015 and steadily climbed the ranks with victories on the ITF Circuit. She won her first WTA title at the Hong Kong Open in 2018, becoming the youngest player to win a WTA title that year. She followed that up with two more WTA titles in 2019, at the Hua Hin Championships and the Internationaux de Strasbourg. She also reached the fourth round of Wimbledon, her best Grand Slam performance at the time.

She broke into the top 30 in 2019 and reached her career-high ranking of No. 21 in January 2020. She also reached her first Premier final at the Adelaide International, where she lost to world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty. On the way to the final she beat Aryna Sabalenka.

However, her career faced a major setback in 2021, when she was provisionally suspended for doping after testing positive for mesterolone, a banned substance. She denied any wrongdoing and appealed the decision, claiming that the positive result was due to cross-contamination. After a long legal battle, she was cleared of the charge in June 2021 and allowed to resume playing.

She made her comeback at the Hamburg Open, where she reached the quarterfinals. She also reached the final of the WTA 250 event in Prague, where she lost to Tereza Martincova. She reentered the top 100 and qualified for the 2024 Australian Open.

Australian Open 2024 run to SF

Yastremska stunned the tennis world with her remarkable run at the 2024 Australian Open. She had to pass 3 qualifying rounds before entering the main draw.

She upset seventh seed Marketa Vondrousova from Czechia to reach the second round in under one hour. In R2 she beat Varvara Gracheva. In R3 she defeated 27th seed American Emma Navarro to reach the fourth round for the first time at this Major. Next she defeated former Australian Open champion and 18th seed Victoria Azarenka in straight sets to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time. It marked the first time multiple Ukrainian women reached the quarterfinals at a Major in the Open Era. She became just the second qualifier in the Open Era to defeat two former Grand Slam champions at a Major since Jelena Dokic who upset Martina Hingis and Mary Pierce at Wimbledon in 1999. But the surge wasn't over there as she defeated Linda Noskova in straight sets to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal. She moved more then 60 positions up and returned to the top 30. 

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MATCH REPORT | 2024 Australian Open: Dayana YASTREMSKA powers into semifinals after dominating duel with Linda NOSKOVA

Future prospects

Yastremska has proven that she is a force to be reckoned with in the women's tennis circuit. She has a powerful and aggressive game, with a strong serve and forehand.