No handshake stole the spotlight at the Australian Open as Aryna Sabalenka crushed Elina Svitolina in a politically charged semi-final to storm into yet another Melbourne final.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka powered into her fourth straight Australian Open final on Thursday, dismantling Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in straight sets in a politically charged semi-final that ended without a handshake.
The Belarusian top seed was ruthless in a 6-2, 6-3 win on Rod Laver Arena, extending her unbeaten run in 2026 and booking a title clash against Elena Rybakina, who later defeated Jessica Pegula. It sets up a repeat of the 2023 Melbourne final, which Sabalenka won in three sets.
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Ahead of the Sabalenka–Svitolina match, an announcement informed spectators there would be no post-match handshake, urging fans to “respect” the decision.
Ukrainian players, including Svitolina, do not shake hands with Russian or Belarusian opponents because of the ongoing war. The two players also avoided close contact during pre-match formalities.
Sabalenka, chasing a third Australian Open crown in four years, looked every bit the dominant force of the tournament. The 27-year-old is yet to drop a set in Melbourne this year and arrived at the season’s first Grand Slam on the back of a Brisbane title. She is now on an 11-match winning streak.
There was a brief controversy early on when Sabalenka was penalised for hindrance due to grunting, prompting a lengthy video review and boos from the crowd. Although she lost the point, she quickly regained control, breaking early in the second set to seal the contest.
After the match, Sabalenka praised Svitolina, calling her a “really tough opponent” who had played “incredible tennis” throughout the week. Svitolina, meanwhile, put her defeat in perspective, saying the suffering in Ukraine made it hard to dwell on a loss.
Earlier, Rybakina, the fifth seed and 2022 Wimbledon champion, booked her place in the final with a 6-3, 7-6 (9/7) win over sixth-seeded Pegula. She has also not dropped a set in the tournament and arrives in the final in red-hot form, having won 19 of her last 20 matches.
Sabalenka leads Rybakina 8-6 in their head-to-head meetings, though the Kazakhstani-born star beat her at the WTA Finals in November, adding intrigue to Saturday’s Australian Open final.
Published: 30 Jan 2026, 11:05 am IST
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