Elena Rybakina advanced to the Australian Open semifinals with a straight-sets victory over Iga Swiatek, setting up a clash with Jessica Pegula. The Kazakh's powerful serve will test the American's steady defense in their first Grand Slam meeting. Both players remain unbeaten in sets throughout the tournament.
Elena Rybakina, the fifth seed and world No. 5 from Kazakhstan, continued her dominant run at the 2026 Australian Open by defeating World No. 2 Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 in the quarterfinals on January 28. The match lasted 1 hour and 35 minutes, with Rybakina winning eight of the last nine games to level their head-to-head at 6-6. She impressed by capturing 93% of points on her first serve in the opening set, despite landing only 41% of them, while serving 35 aces in the tournament so far.
Rybakina has not dropped a set all tournament, extending her winning streak to 19 tour-level matches since October. Her season record stands at 7-1, with a 19-6 mark at the Australian Open and 68% win rate on hard courts. After the win, she said, “You can play indoor, you can play outdoor, sun, it can be [a] night match. So all these conditions [are] a bit tricky. I think probably now I’m more calm and going deeper in tournament.” She added, “Really happy with the last few matches. It has been challenging with the sun, but finding a way. For now, the serve is really working, so hopefully I can continue like this.”
In the semifinals, Rybakina faces Jessica Pegula, the 31-year-old American who also remains unbeaten in sets. Pegula reached her first Australian Open semifinal by defeating compatriot Amanda Anisimova in straight sets, winning 16 of 25 second-serve points (64%). She has an 8-1 record this season, a 21-8 career mark at Melbourne, and 68% hard-court wins. Pegula said, “It’s awesome. I thought it’s got to be coming (a semi-final), I feel like I play really good tennis here, I like the conditions here. I knew she was going to step it up in the second set, but I told myself to keep holding serve.”
Their head-to-head is tied at 3-3, with Rybakina winning their last meeting in the 2025 WTA Finals semifinals. This marks their first Grand Slam encounter. Pegula has knocked out three Americans, including defending champion Madison Keys, in her run to the final four—her third major semifinal overall and second straight.
