BREAKING: Elina Svitolina blows past Coco Gauff to reach first Australian Open semifinal
Elina Svitolina just tore through Melbourne. The 31-year-old Ukrainian crushed world No. 3 Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-2 in 59 minutes, booking her first Australian Open semifinal. The match was one-way traffic from the first game. It was clean, fast, and ruthless. Svitolina walked off Rod Laver Arena with a grin, and a statement that echoed across the grounds.
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A blueprint comeback, with purpose and poise
This is not a feel-good blip. It is a plan coming together. Svitolina is 10-0 to start 2026, including a title in Auckland to open the year. She shut down her 2025 season early to protect her mental health. She returned with clear eyes, a sharper first strike, and a simple message. Less noise, more intent.
She also returns to the WTA Top 10 with this result. That milestone matters. It is her first time back inside the elite since becoming a mother. It shows what smart rest, patient work, and perspective can do in a sport that rarely slows down.
First Australian Open semifinal, unbeaten in 2026, and locked back into the Top 10. Svitolina’s reset is paying off.
Today in numbers:
- 6-1, 6-2, a 59-minute rout
- 10 straight wins this season
- First semifinal in Melbourne
- One win from her first Australian Open final
How she did it against Gauff
Svitolina took the center of the court and never gave it back. She stepped inside the baseline, attacked second serves, and finished points on her terms. Her forehand had pop, her backhand redirected pace with ease, and her feet were everywhere. There were no wasted swings. Every ball had a job.
First-strike intent
From the first return game, Svitolina sent a message. She stood up on the return, hit deep and flat, and drew short replies. Points were short, but not rushed. She used the wide serve to open the court, then drove into open space. The balance was crisp. She picked the right moments to press. When Gauff left a ball short, the rally ended two shots later.
Composure under fire
Gauff fought to change the rhythm, but her forehand drifted and her timing wobbled. The pressure boiled over at the finish, when she smashed her racket post-match. Cameras caught it from close range, which kicked off a larger debate on the court walk and player privacy. The tennis was blunt, the emotion very real.
Gauff’s post-match frustration, caught at close range, reignites questions about how near broadcast cameras should be in private walk-off moments.
Svitolina did not blink. She played with calm that felt new. She also showed something old, the elite mover who slides into corners and steals time. The mix, new aggression and vintage defense, is the story of her season.
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The Sabalenka test is next
Now, the biggest ask. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka waits in the semifinal. Sabalenka brings heavy serve, raw power, and first-ball pressure. She takes time away, then takes more. Svitolina knows the script. Absorb when needed, redirect when the court opens, and strike first when the return lands deep.
Keys for Svitolina in the semifinal:
- Own the second-serve exchange, get on Sabalenka’s feet with depth.
- Keep forehand margins high, use heavy cross, then change line.
- Make returns count, even blocked, to start on neutral.
- Protect the body serve in big moments, vary speed and spin.
If Svitolina wins the first-strike battle on second serves, she tilts the match in her favor. That single lane could decide everything.
What this run means for the tour
This is a ripple with force. Svitolina is reentering the conversation at the top. She is doing it with a game that looks freer, and a mindset built on choices, not fear. The locker room will see it. Players notice when a veteran changes gears, takes the ball early, and backs herself in big points. That is leadership by example.
It is also a map for others. Take the break you need. Build the tools you want. Return with purpose. The WTA has never been deeper, but clarity still wins. Svitolina is playing with clarity right now, and she is shaking the tree.
Conclusion
Elina Svitolina did not just beat Coco Gauff today, she reset the stakes in Melbourne. A 59-minute beatdown, a perfect start to the year, and a semifinal date with the world No. 1. Her comeback is careful and fierce. Her tennis is brave and clean. The message is simple, and it travels. She is back, and she is coming for more.
