Elina Svitolina had kind words for Aryna Sabalenka after the world No. 1 stopped her from reaching a first Grand Slam final.
The Ukrainian was beaten 6-2, 6-3, with Sabalenka turning the match around by winning six of the last seven games after falling a break behind. As has been standard in matches involving Ukrainian players against Russian or Belarusian opponents, there was no handshake at the net.
Even so, respect was clear on both sides. Sabalenka applauded Svitolina as she left the court, and the former world No. 3 later admitted her opponent was simply “on fire”.
Svitolina reflected positively on her recent form, saying: “I mean, definitely very, very happy with the two weeks here and in New Zealand, as well, winning [the title].” While she was disappointed to fall short, she acknowledged how tough it was facing the top-ranked player at the peak of her powers.
She explained that although her returning was solid, her serve let her down, allowing Sabalenka to take control with aggressive follow-up shots. That constant pressure, Svitolina said, showed exactly why Sabalenka sits at world No. 1.
The Ukrainian also felt the scoreline did not fully tell the story of the match, believing she could have held serve more often. Still, she admitted that against players of Sabalenka’s level, small lapses are quickly punished.
Rather than dwell on what might have been, Svitolina chose to focus on the positives from the last few weeks, describing her tennis as strong and something to build on going forward.
Her run to the semi-finals will see her return to the top 10 for the first time since becoming a mother in 2022. With everything happening in her home country, Svitolina admitted she could not be too down about the result and is determined to move ahead with perspective and optimism.