Second-seeded Swiatek lost in straight sets to Rybakina, while Pegula narrowly defeated compatriot Anisimova.
Published January 28, 2026
Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula will clash in the Australian Open semi-finals after defeating pre-tournament favorites Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova, respectively.
Swiatek, the reigning Wimbledon champion and second seed, was aiming for a career Grand Slam with her victory at Melbourne Park, but lost in straight sets to Rybakina on Wednesday.
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The 2022 Wimbledon champion’s 7-5, 6-2 victory gave her the chance to win a second Grand Slam title, while also shattering Swiatek’s dreams of lifting the one major tournament trophy she had failed to achieve despite winning six major titles.
Rybakina previously reached the final in Melbourne in 2023, losing to Aryna Sabalenka in a tough three sets.
The 26-year-old fifth seed said his calm mindset helped him in the fierce competition as he cruised to his latest victory.
“At first, when it’s your first final and you’ve gotten this far in the tournament, you’re naturally more emotional,” Rybakina said.
“I feel like right now I’m just doing my job and trying to get better every day. So it’s just another day, another game.”
Rybakina hit 11 aces and 26 winners at Rod Laver Arena, winning eight of her final nine matches and underscoring her authority.
“I’m really happy with the win,” Rybakina said. “We were trying to be aggressive because we know each other so well.
Swiatek struggled with his serve throughout the contest, which the world No. 2 player said he will need to improve in the coming months.
“For example, my serve wasn’t as good as it was against Elena in Cincinnati. My serve was average, and there were times when I could have hit a little more,” Swiatek told reporters.
“There are some things I want to change about my serve, which I already changed during preseason, but when the match comes, I don’t have much time to think about it.
“I don’t want to think about these little things when I play, and then I fall back into old patterns… There are some things I can change to play better, so I’ll try to do that.”
Pegula celebrates ‘great win’ against Anisimova
Meanwhile, Pegula, fresh off a win over last year’s champion Madison Keyes, faced Anisimova in the U.S. quarterfinals and won by a scoreline of 6-2, 7-6 (7-1).
Pegula has yet to drop a set in Melbourne this year and is aiming for his first major title at the age of 31.
“It’s amazing,” Pegula said of reaching his first Australian Open semifinal.
“I have been able to go deeper in recent years at the US Open , but this was the first tournament I broke through.
“I feel like I’m playing good tennis here. I like the conditions, and I’ve played well even in the matches I lost here, so I was waiting for the time to break through.”
The sixth seed was helped by an error-filled performance from fourth-seeded Anisimova, who made 44 unforced errors to Pegula’s 21.
In the end, Anisimova’s frustration boiled over as her hopes of winning a third straight major title were wiped out by a mistake.
Sixth seeds Pegula and Rybakina have shared three wins each in their last six matches.
Two-time champion Sabalenka will face 12th seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in the other semifinal.
