Another milestone for Aryna Sabalenka. The World No. 1 powered past Elina Svitolina to book her place in the Australian Open final. After an intense match where the Ukrainian refused to back down, Sabalenka took control and sealed it in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3. Now, just one match away from a possible third title in Melbourne, the pressure is closing in on Aryna.

During her post-match interview, the Belarusian learned she had matched a WTA legend. She became the second woman since Martina Hingis to reach four consecutive Australian Open finals, a record set 30 years ago. When asked how her 10-year-old self would feel seeing her now, Sabalenka couldn’t hold back her tears.

“I don’t know what she would think right now,” Aryna Sabalenka admitted, “I think she would be proud. That, yeah, I was able to make it here. I would never think that I would, first of all, be able to make it to the top 10, and second, be that consistent and play on such a big arena in front of you all. And all the support, it’s just a dream. Every day I’m grateful for everything I have, and I don’t know, I hope she would be proud of me.”

The two-time champion showed every bit of her firepower on court, battling past Elina Svitolina to extend her dominance in their matchup. With that win, she now leads 6-1 against the Ukrainian on the WTA Tour. Up next is another blockbuster, a final clash with Elena Rybakina, her opponent from the 2023 Australian Open championship match.

That showdown three years ago in Melbourne marked a turning point. Sabalenka had rallied from a set down to claim her very first major title, taking the victory 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 against one of the few players who could truly go toe-to-toe with her in power. Now she’s chasing a fifth Grand Slam crown, which would place her alongside tennis greats Martina Hingis and Maria Sharapova.

“I cannot believe that, honestly – that’s an incredible achievement. But the job is not done yet,” Sabalenka said when asked about reaching yet another final.

There’s no denying the momentum she’s carrying into this title match. Her sparkling 11-0 start to the 2026 season already includes a trophy from Brisbane, and she’s made a habit of conquering Australian courts.

With eight tour-level finals Down Under since 2000, she now trails only Serena Williams and Justine Henin on that list. Remarkably, Williams reached seven finals at the Australian Open and one in Auckland, while Henin contested three in Melbourne during the same span.

This run has been as smooth as it gets, not a single set dropped so far. The only real hiccup came in the fourth game of the first set during this match.

Aryna Sabalenka gets upset after umpire makes a hindrance call

On Thursday, Aryna found herself in an unusual situation early in the first set. Up 2‑1, she was suddenly hit with a hindrance call for grunting mid‑rally. The moment froze both players for a second and drew a wave of surprise from the crowd. Instinctively, Sabalenka turned to the chair and asked for a video review.

“You went ‘UH – AYA’… you don’t make the normal sound,” the umpire explained, standing firm on the call. Sabalenka then checked if one long, continuous grunt was allowed, just not one broken mid‑rally.

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Later in her press conference, Sabalenka was still shocked by what had happened. “That’s actually never happened to me. Like, never happened to me, especially with my grunting,” she admitted, still processing the rare ruling.

She broke down the rally in detail. “It’s just like, the ball was deep. The ball was, the bounce was wrong, and it was just like the timing. I was exhaling, and it just happened naturally.”

“Then she called it, and I was, like, What? What is wrong with you? I think it was the wrong call, but whatever,” Sabalenka added. “She really – how do I say in a nice way – she really pissed me off. It actually helps me and benefits my game.”

Despite the flare‑up, the Belarusian isn’t letting the moment derail her focus. She faces Rybakina next in her second Australian Open final, chasing her third title in Melbourne and fifth major overall.

She leads their head‑to‑head 8‑6, but Rybakina grabbed the upper hand in their most recent clash, the 2025 WTA Finals title match. Will Aryna Sabalenka take the title and her revenge?