Asia's top-ranked tennis player confidently advances to the semifinals of the 2026 Australian Open.

The Asian and global tennis star is still on the quest for her second Grand Slam title in her career.

Fifth seed Elena Rybakina made a significant impact at the 2026 Australian Open by defeating world No. 2 Iga Swiatek with a score of 7-5, 6-1 in the quarterfinal match held on the morning of January 28 (Vietnam time) at Melbourne Park, securing her spot in the tournament semifinals.

This is considered one of Rybakina’s most convincing performances since the start of the tournament, especially in the second set where the Kazakh player completely dominated the six-time Grand Slam champion. With this victory, Rybakina continues to hope for her first Australian Open title and will face the winner between Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova in the semifinals.

At the start of the match, Swiatek began confidently by breaking Rybakina’s first service game, taking full advantage of her opponent’s unstable second serves. However, this advantage was short-lived. The 2022 Wimbledon champion quickly broke back, leveling the set and creating a tense battle lasting nearly an hour.

Both players consistently held their service games until the decisive moment. In the final game of the first set, Swiatek made a critical error by hitting the ball into the net, allowing Rybakina to secure an important break and close the set 7-5.

In the second set, the match dynamics shifted dramatically. The Asian representative exploited Swiatek’s psychological decline by applying continuous pressure with powerful serves and precise baseline shots. The 28-year-old quickly earned a break and took the lead.

A highlight of the set was the second game, where Rybakina ended a long rally with a powerful forehand into the corner, while Swiatek was almost frozen in place. The Polish player showed frustration and even disputed a close line call after losing another break.

Unable to regain her rhythm, Swiatek conceded the second set 1-6. The Kazakh tennis star maintained her final service game to finish the match convincingly, confirming her status as one of the strong contenders for this year’s Australian Open title.