Iga Swiatek will have to wait another year before pursuing a career Grand Slam. The No. 2 women’s ranking was unable to overcome Elena Rybakina’s dominant serve on Tuesday and was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Australian Open.
She had 11 aces during the contest, and the match really came down to Rybakina’s serve. Rybakina executed her first serve in key moments, even though she was only successful 49% of the time. She won on her first serve 79% of the time and her second serve 63% of the time. She had three double faults, but that didn’t prevent her from winning over Swiatek in straight sets (7-5, 6-1).
The win marks the second time Rybakina has reached the semifinals of the Australian Open. She made it to the final in 2023, but has never won this competition. With this victory, Rybakina’s record against Swiatek improved to 6 wins and 6 losses.
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Despite the loss, Swiatek is still chasing an Australian Open victory. Although she has won every other major tournament, she has only reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open. The 24-year-old is aiming to complete a career Grand Slam next year.
American Jessica Pegula, who won earlier on Wednesday, will face Rybakina in the semifinals on Thursday. The two have faced each other six times, with three wins and three losses. The other semi-final match will also take place on Thursday, pitting women’s number 1 Aryna Sabalenka against women’s number 12 Elina Svitolina.
Jannik Sinner eliminates Ben Shelton
Ben Shelton’s three-year run at the Australian Open came to an end at the hands of Jannik Sinner. The 24-year-old Italian dispatched Shelton in straight sets (6-3, 6-4, 6-4) on Wednesday.
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With this victory, Sinner advanced to the Australian Open semifinals for the third consecutive year. He won both tournaments in 2024 and 2025, and is aiming for his third consecutive Australian Open title.
With this loss, Shelton has just one win in 10 games against Sinner. The American played his best tennis at the Australian Open, posting a 79% winning percentage entering Wednesday’s match, but Sinner remains a major barrier to Shelton’s success at the tournament.
If Sinner wants a three-peat, he will need to step up his game in the final two games. The top four players in the rankings all advanced to the semifinals, but one of them did so through unconventional means. Sinner’s next opponent was Novak Djokovic, who lost 0-2 to Lorenzo Musetti before Musetti was forced to retire due to injury.
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Sinner and Djokovic have faced each other 10 times, with Sinner holding a slight advantage over Djokovic with 6 wins and 4 losses.
