Semifinals set at the 2026 Australian Open

Elina Svitolina (Christian Mesiano, Wikimedia Commons)

We now know the four players left on the women’s side and the men’s side of the 2026 Australian Open. In the women’s semifinals on Thursday, world number one Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus will face world number 12 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, and world number five Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan will face world number six Jessica Pegula of the United States. In the men’s semifinals on Friday, world number one Carlos Alcaraz of Spain will face world number three Alexander Zverev of Germany, and world number two Jannik Sinner of Italy will face world number four Novak Djokovic of Serbia.

Ian the women’s semifinals, there were three upsets when it came to the world rankings. Pegula, the sixth seed, beat fellow American Amanda Anisimova, 6-2, 7-6. Rybakina, the fifth seed, upset Iga Swiatek of Poland, the second seed, 7-5, 6-1, and Svitolina, the 12th seed, upset Coco Gauff of the United States, the third seed, 6-1, 6-2.

It was the quarterfinal performances of Svitolina and Rybakina that stood out over all of the rest. Gauff only won 33% of the points on her second serve and was broken six times. After the match, Gauff smashed her racquet several times on her way to the locker room. Rybakina had 11 aces, and Swiatek only won 42% of the points on her second serve.

Sabalenka is a four-time grand slam champion, who recently won the 2025 United States Open. She has won the Australian Open twice in the past, in 2023 and 2024. Sabalenka has won five of six meetings head-to-head against Svitolina. Rybakina, who won Wimbledon in 2022, is 3-3 all-time versus Pegula.

Djokovic has won 24 major titles, including the Australian Open 10 times. He is only 4-6 all-time against Sinner. The world number two has won the last two Australian Opens. Meanwhile, world number one Carlos Alcaraz of Spain has won six grand slam titles, but has never won the Australian Open. Alcaraz and Zverev have beaten each other six times.