Martina Navratilova believes Elina Svitolina’s stunning run at the Australian Open has given her a genuine opening, however narrow, against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Breaking down the upcoming semifinal, Navratilova emphasized that Svitolina cannot retreat into safety or familiarity. Instead, she must double down on the fearless, aggressive tennis that carried her into the final four and briefly made the matchup feel less predictable than the head-to-head record suggests.
Inside Elina Svitolina’s Dominant Run to the Australian Open Final Four
Svitolina’s place in the 2026 Australian Open semifinals is already historic. The 31-year-old, seeded 12th, reached the semifinals in Melbourne for the first time in 13 main-draw appearances. She has done it without dropping a set, opening with a straight-sets win over Cristina Bucșa, then moving past Linda Klimovicova and the 23rd seed Diana Shnaider before eliminating eighth seed Mirra Andreeva in the fourth round.
Her quarterfinal against world No. 3 Coco Gauff was the defining moment of the tournament, a 6-1, 6-2 victory that lasted just 59 minutes. The result secured her return to the WTA Top 10 for the first time since October 2021 and made her the second-oldest player to reach a maiden Australian Open semifinal at age 31.
What Style of Tennis Does Martina Navratilova Say Svitolina Must Play Against Aryna Sabalenka?
Navratilova’s assessment centered squarely on how Svitolina must play to stay competitive against Sabalenka. Speaking on Tennis Channel, the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion said, “Svitolina needs to play the way she played today, just fearless tennis.”
Elina Svitolina completely sped through her quarterfinal vs Coco Gauff! ⚡️😯
The Ukrainian will face Aryna Sabalenka next for a place in the championship. 👀#AO2026 pic.twitter.com/kzGfn1LN2c
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) January 27, 2026
Navratilova noted that Svitolina has evolved in how she approaches risk and aggression, saying, “She’s been so much better at playing outside of her comfort zone that it’s no longer a discomfort zone; it’s a comfort zone for her now.”
She also pointed to a clear tactical requirement, adding, “She’s much more aggressive positionally, and she has to get the ball as deep as she did against Coco. Of course, Coco loops the ball, and Sabalenka never loops the ball, so she’s going to have to be really outside of her comfort zone.”
Despite that challenge, Navratilova did not rule Svitolina out. “But she’s got a shot at it,” she said. “She needs to keep being aggressive. We’ll see.” The comments come with context. Sabalenka leads their head-to-head 5-1 heading into their seventh WTA meeting, even as Svitolina carries a 10-match winning streak into the semifinal.
