Rybakina defeats Swiatek to reach fourth Grand Slam semi-finals at Australian Open – Tennis Now

By Richard Pagliaro Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Image source: Australian Open Facebook

Iga Swiatek She only wanted to win a career Grand Slam, but Elena Rybakina Putting Swiatek’s head on a spinner today.

Rybakina hit her 11th ace on the T stage, sweeping Swiatek 7-5, 6-1, and entered the Australian Open semi-finals.

Fifth seed Rybakina surged through the draw to reach her fourth Grand Slam semifinal without dropping a set.

2023 AO finalist Rybakina will face the fourth seed Amanda Anisimova or sixth seed Jessica Pegula Fight for your spot in Saturday’s final.

In the meeting between the current and former Wimbledon champions, Rybakina defeated Swiatek with 26 winners, 16 more than Swiatek, and converted four of seven break points. Here’s the scary thing about this win: Rybakina only hit 49 percent of her serves, but still beat the second-seeded Pole in eight of the last nine games.

“I’m not happy with the outcome,” Swiatek said. “It was a high-intensity match. The first set was very close. There were very few points that could change the situation.

“In the second set, of course, she improved her serve. She was getting ready to hit the ball, but the game became more difficult.”

Rybakina is bidding for her second Grand Slam title and her first since beating Ons Jabr to win Wimbledon in 2022.

The red-hot Rybakina notched her 18th victory in her last 19 matches – her only loss in that remarkable stretch was to Karolina Muchova in the Brisbane quarter-finals earlier this month – and recorded eight consecutive top-10 wins in that span.

With the power of two baseline backhands, Swiatek broke serve on the 15th to open the game.

Rybakina grabbed her third break point in the second game with a right, and the tension was palpable on both sides of the net.

The 2025 WTA ace leader fought back from Love’s -40 deficit in the third game to take a 2-1 lead.

Rybakina hit consecutive forehands from the baseline, helping her seal her first love at 4-3.

The second seed Swiatek got more first-serve opportunities. She saved 15 points after ten games to even the score.

Rybakina relied on a wide serve to complete her second love hold with a score of 6-5.

Swiatek forced a decider on serve, lost range on his first serve, and paid the price. Swiatek saved the set point with a topspin forehand winner.

Facing the Polish’s second serve, Rybakina received the serve in the middle. Swiatek knelt down on one knee to complete the second count. Swiatek tried to challenge Rybakina’s devastating backhand, but was burned in the process.

On the ninth shot of the second set, a backhand attempt to change direction found the net.

Although Rybakina’s serve hit rate was only 41%, she hit four aces in the 59-minute first set and won 12 of her 13 first-serve points.

“I don’t know, like against Elena in Cincinnati, my serve was really not as good, I don’t know,” Swiatek said. “My serve is kind of normal and sometimes it can give me a little more.

“Like I said, like the first set, I thought it was a few points difference. I thought she gave me some as well.
Her serve opportunities, sometimes I took advantage of them. Sometimes, like 30 games, I miss a game. You know, I want to be more aggressive on the second serve, so sometimes, yeah, mistakes are made.

“But if you want to break serve, you need to do it in moments like that. And then in the second set, I thought, I don’t know, her pace got a little bit higher and she was more precise and maybe I specifically lowered the intensity in the beginning.”

In two of the past three meetings, women who lost the first set came back to win the match, including last fall’s WTA Finals, where Rybakina won 3-6, 6-1, 6-0.

“You have more time than you think – take advantage of the shape,” coach Wim Fisset told Swiatek as he returned from a bathroom break before the start of the second set.

The 6-foot-1 Rybakina handled the lob with confidence, hitting a clean backhand winner and earning three break points. After reading the serve, Rybakina hit a diagonal forehand to break serve and lead 2-0 in the second set.

After pushing Swiatek with a wide serve, Rybakina changed the situation and hit her sixth ace to the tee to extend the lead to 3-0.

Wimbledon champion Swiatek challenged the Kazakh’s serve at Love-30 in the fifth game, eventually dragging the game into a tie.

The powerful Rybakina hit four aces in that game and flashed an ace to chase the score to 4-1.

Rybakina, 26, delivered his 11th ace in 95 minutes to earn an impressive win.