Elina Svitolina has been on an amazing run in 2026, remaining undefeated so far this year. However, she will face her biggest on-court challenge as she faces Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinal of the 2026 Australian Open.
Regardless of the result, the Ukrainian is likely to avoid shaking hands and clicking official pre-match pictures with Sabalenka.
Why Does Elina Svitolina Not Shake Hands or Click Pictures With Aryna Sabalenka?
Since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began in February of 2022, all Ukrainian players on the tennis Tour skip the pre- and post-match formalities with Russian and Belarusian opponents, showing their solidarity with their home nation. Elina Svitolina was at the forefront of this stance when she refused to shake hands with the likes of Anna Blinkova and Aryna Sabalenka at the 2023 French Open.
She turned heads once again when she stayed true to her stance against Victoria Azarenka at Wimbledon.
Svitolina’s stance and convictions have not changed, even when she has faced players who have changed their Russian nationalities. Back at the 2024 Monterrey Open, she faced Elina Avanesyan, who was born and brought up in Russia but had changed her nationality to Armenia.
However, even then, Svitolina refused to shake her hands, stating a change of nationalities was not enough to move her from her stance.
At the ongoing Australian Open, Svitolina avoided handshakes with Russians Diana Shnaider and Mirra Andreeva. Respecting the Ukrainian’s wishes, Andreeva directly turned to her bench instead of going to the net, which resulted in some boos from the crowd.
MORE: Mirra Andreeva Booed by Australian Open Crowd Despite Honoring Elina Svitolina’s Handshake Wishes
In her upcoming match against Sabalenka, no handshakes or joint photographs are expected. Sabalenka was already in such a situation this year when she played against Marta Kostyuk in the final of the Brisbane International. There was no handshake after the match, and separate photo sessions took place at the trophy ceremony.
Both Svitolina and Sabalenka have been in terrific form at the Australian Open, with both players not losing a single set across five matches. While Svitolina has reached the semifinals with wins over the likes of Andreeva and Coco Gauff in her last two matches, Sabalenka had to overcome the challenge of teenage sensations Victoria Mboko and Iva Jović to reach the last four.
This is Svitolina’s best performance at the Australian Open, having reached the quarterfinals on three previous occasions. Sabalenka, on the other hand, is a two-time champion in Melbourne and has won 33 of her 39 matches at the first Major of the year.
