Elena Rybakina storms into Australian Open 2026 semi-finals, beating Iga Swiatek: Whom will she face next?

Elena Rybakina reached the Australian Open 2026 semi-finals with a strong, straight-sets win over Iga Swiatek. On 28 January, the fifth seed beat the six-time Grand Slam champion 7-5, 6-1.

Swiatek started well, breaking the Kazakhstan player early, but she could not hold the advantage. Both players stayed level until the end of the first set. Then, Swiatek made an error to hand Rybakina the set.

The 28-year-old, who is chasing her first Australian Open title, then took full control. She broke Swiatek early in the second set and kept the pressure on with powerful groundstrokes. Swiatek struggled with her serve and looked frustrated as Rybakina raced ahead.

Australian Open 2026: Women's singles

The women’s singles at the Australian Open 2026 has reached an exciting semi-final stage. World number one Aryna Sabalenka moved into the semi-finals with a dominant straight-sets win over Iva Jovic.

She will now face Elina Svitolina, who produced one of the biggest upsets of the tournament by beating Coco Gauff in straight sets.

In the semi-final, Elena Rybakina will face Jessica Pegula. The American player defeated her US opponent, Amanda Anisimova, with a score of 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) to advance to her first Australian Open semifinal.

Jessica Pegula now holds a dominant head-to-head record against Amanda Anisimova. She has won all four of their official WTA meetings so far. Pegula has shown consistency across different surfaces and stages, often handling pressure moments better.

Earlier, she defeated Anisimova in the 2024 Canadian Open final in three sets. Pegula also prevailed in tight matches at the 2024 Charleston Open and the 2020 Cincinnati Open.

Elena Rybakina vs Jessica Pegula: Head-to-head records

Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula share a perfectly balanced rivalry, with the head-to-head locked at 3–3 after six professional meetings.

This evenly matched record sets up a high-stakes clash in the Australian Open 2026 semi-final tomorrow, 29 January.

Rybakina won the 2025 WTA Finals semi-final and the 2023 Miami Open semi-final. Pegula, meanwhile, has also claimed three wins. She won at the 2022 Guadalajara Open, 2021 Miami Open and 2020 Cincinnati Open.

With neither player holding a clear edge, the upcoming semi-final promises a close contest. The match starts at 3:10 PM (India time).

Australia Open 2026: How to watch

Viewers in India can watch the Australian Open 2026 on the Sony Sports Network. For subscribers, the live streaming of the tournament is available on the SonyLIV app and website.

Viewers who prefer television can watch matches on Sony Sports Network channels. These include Sony Ten 1 and Sony Ten 2 for English coverage, Sony Ten 3 for Hindi commentary and Sony Ten 4 for Tamil and Telugu commentary.