Did Svitolina Just Pull Off a Shocking Upset Against Gauff in the Australian Open?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Melbourne, Jan 27 (NationPress) Elina Svitolina delivered an incredible upset at the Australian Open on Tuesday night, stunning third seed Coco Gauff in a mere 59 minutes. This victory marks Svitolina's fourth career Grand Slam semifinal and her first at the Australian Open.
While Gauff faced difficulties with her serve and accumulated unforced errors, Svitolina executed a flawless game plan, clinching a commanding 6-1, 6-2 victory. This win secures her spot in a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time since summer 2023 and at the age of 31.
Gauff's serving woes peaked in the vital seventh game, where she made two critical double faults that allowed Svitolina to gain easy points. Svitolina's aggressive baseline play was pivotal as she wrapped up the first set 6-1.
Despite Gauff's efforts to regain momentum with a strong serve, she struggled to maintain her performance under pressure. Svitolina's clinical display, which included breaking serve five times, paved her way to the final four.
With this win over Gauff, Svitolina extends her winning streak to 10 matches, marking the third-longest run of her career. Previously, she had a streak of 15 matches in 2017 and 11 in 2025.
Ranked No.12 in the world and cheered on by her husband, Gael Monfils, Svitolina captured her 19th tour title in Auckland leading up to the Australian Open and has yet to drop a set in Melbourne Park. She is set to re-enter the Top 10 of the WTA Rankings for the first time since October 2021.
This triumph over Gauff marks Svitolina's 24th win against a Top 5 player, with four of those victories occurring at Grand Slam events since her return from maternity leave.
She will aim for her first Grand Slam final as she faces No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka, who currently leads their head-to-head record 5-1, on Thursday.