By Richard Pagliaro Monday, January 26, 2026
Image source: Australian Open Facebook
Cultivating her aggression game by game, Alina Sabalenka Today brings desolation at the red-hot Rod Laver Arena.
isolation Eva Jovic After the baseline, Sabalenka defeated the talented youngster 6-3, 6-0 in seven consecutive games off the court to reach her fourth consecutive Australian Open semifinals.
On the hottest day of the tournament, the roof of Rod Laver Arena was open, exposing both women to the scalding heat. Sabalenka reached the Grand Slam semifinals for the 14th time in her career, including her 12th semifinal in her past 13 Grand Slam starts.
Top seed Sabalenka will face Third seed Coco Gauff or No. 12 seed Elina Svitolina Fight for your spot in Saturday’s final. If Sabalenka meets Gauff, it will be a repeat of the 2025 French Open final, when Gauff tamed a windy and moody Sabalenka to capture her second Grand Slam title.
“These teenagers tested me in the last few rounds,” said Sabalenka, who defeated Jovic’s junior doubles partner Victoria Mboko in the fourth round. “Incredible player, it was a tough match. Don’t look at the score, it wasn’t easy at all. She played incredible tennis and pushed me to a higher level.
“I’m very happy with the win. It was a tough battle.”
Sabalenka hit the ball cleanly and with ferocity and had her most complete game of the tournament, improving her 2026 record to 10-0. Sabalenka has not dropped a set this season, and the three games she dropped today are the fewest she has lost so far in this Australian Open.
The four-time Grand Slam champion improved his record to 13-1 in the Grand Slam quarterfinals.
The powerful Belarusian won 31 winners, 19 more than Jovic, who reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal, and won seven of eight attempts at the net.
The 18-year-old Jovic played a solid performance in the first set, but was overwhelmed by Sabalenka’s overall strength in the second set. Jovic was at her best, crossing the baseline and redirecting the ball, but she found herself repeatedly pushed behind the baseline by Sabalenka’s deep shots.
No. 29 seed Jovic’s long forehand serve – her third forehand error of the match – helped Sabalenka break serve and take a 2-0 lead.
Struggling for a first serve, Jovic paid the price as Sabalenka converted a forehand break point. Walking into the court, Jovic saved the ball with a backhand shot off the line. Sabalenka watched the lob closely, but the ball stuck to the top of the tape and crawled back to her side of the net. The teenager held on for nearly eight minutes to lead 1-3.
Sabalenka hit her second ace to set up her first love point of the day and take a 4-1 lead.
Jovic erased two break points in the sixth game, including a tricky forehand winner. When Sabalenka hit a hard forehand, Jovic held firm and saved three break points to bring the score to 2-4.
The 2021 AO doubles champion hit an ace on the catwalk to win 30-15. Jovic read the wide serve and got the first break point with a forehand return in the middle. Sabalenka hit her second ace of the game to tie the match. Jovic fought back again in the second service game and earned a second break point.
On her third break point, Jovic launched a second serve, but her backhand caught the tape, bounced into the air, and landed hard back on the side of the net.
The longest game continued in 95-degree heat and the tension was running high. On her third set point, Sabalenka hit a beautiful backhand from the baseline – her 21st winner – to take the set at five-all in nearly 11 minutes.
Sabalenka won five of the six points and redirected to the baseline at the right time.
Nonetheless, Jovic, who reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final, fought hard in several thrilling encounters and earned three break points in the final game of the first set. Three of the final four games of the set were tied.
Jovic showed he belonged, but his forehand volley fell too low and he ended up facing a double break point. On the second break point, Sabalenka smashed the break with a cross-court backhand to start the second set.
After 70 minutes of intense testing, Sabalenka hit her fifth ace to lead 6-4, 2-0.
Former doubles No. 1 Max Mirnyi joined Sabalenka’s team as co-coach last summer. The man nicknamed “The Beast of Belarus” would have loved what he saw as Sabalenka surged forward and parried a Federer-esque half-volley break point. Sabalenka hit a hard forehand and got a double break, making the score 3-0.
Sabalenka extended the lead to 4-0 with a forehand winner, her second wonderful hold of the day.
By then, the edge in the Southern California teen’s game had evaporated. When Jovic hit a double fault, Sabalenka broke serve again, 5-0.
Two-time AO champion Sabalenka hit an ace to reach her fourth straight AO semifinal in thrilling fashion.
