Perfect 10: Svitolina Steamrolls Gauff to Reach First Australian Open Semifinal

Elina Svitolina had dropped her last two matches to Coco Gauff and entered her Day 10 quarterfinal meeting as the heavy underdog against the two-time major champion. However, she played like the favorite, sprinting to a stunning straight-sets victory. With a 6-1, 6-2 win over a shellshocked Gauff, Svitolina reached her fourth Grand Slam semifinal in emphatic fashion.

The victory sends Svitolina into a semifinal clash with World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and ensures her return to the Top 10 for the first time since returning from maternity leave in April 2023. The 31-year-old Ukrainian, who has won all ten matches she has played in 2026, has not held a Top-10 ranking since October 2021.

“Not bad, I would say,” an elated Svitolina told the crowd. “It’s always been my dream to come back to the Top 10 after maternity leave; it’s always been my goal. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen last year—I stopped after September—but when we were training in the off-season, I told my coach I still wanted that Top-10 return.”

A contest billed as a tactical chess match between two physical baseline grinders ended up being a masterclass from Svitolina and a series of mishaps from Gauff. Svitolina’s precision, contrasted with Gauff’s erratic play, resulted in one-way traffic throughout the match.

Gauff struggled significantly on serve, winning just five of 21 service points in the opening set and committing 14 unforced errors, including five double-faults. Frustrated by her equipment, she even sent three racquets to the stringer midway through the set. She managed to win only one of ten second-serve points in that opening frame.

Hoping a lower string tension would help her find her rhythm in the second set, Gauff instead played tight as a drum. Svitolina capitalized, racing through the first three games to extend her streak to eight consecutive games won. Gauff finally held serve 46 minutes into the match to make it 1-3, momentarily appearing to find her footing after a desperate mid-game consultation with her coaching box.

The momentum was short-lived. Svitolina rallied from 15-30 down to hold for 4-1 -a micro-moment that effectively extinguished Gauff’s hopes of a comeback. Svitolina continued to target Gauff’s forehand relentlessly until the finish. The Ukrainian finished with a disciplined 12 winners and 16 unforced errors, while Gauff’s tally was a lopsided three winners to 26 unforced errors.

Svitolina has now claimed two Top-10 wins in her last two rounds and has yet to drop a set in the tournament. “It means the world to me,” she said. “I try to push myself and find the motivation to continue. I’m really happy to go through to the semifinals.”

As Svitolina gave her post-match interview, images of a frustrated Gauff smashing a racquet in the tunnel were broadcast on the big screen—a fitting final image for a difficult night for the young American.