No handshake as Sabalenka sets up repeat of 2023 Melbourne final

MELBOURNE – Belarusian world number one Aryna Sabalenka crushed Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in a politically charged Australian Open semi-final on Thursday and faces Elena Rybakina for a third Melbourne title.

There was no handshake after Sabalenka dismantled Svitolina 6-2, 6-3, before Kazakhstan’s Rybakina was also a straight-sets winner, over Jessica Pegula of the United States

The ruthless Sabalenka will take some stopping as she pursues a third Melbourne crown in four years.

She is on an 11-match win streak this year, having come into the first major of 2026 on the back of claiming the title in Brisbane

The hard-hitting 27-year-old is into her fourth Australian Open final in a row and yet to drop a set all year

Sabalenka and Moscow-born fifth seed Rybakina have met 14 times, with the Belarusian winning eight of them

That includes the Melbourne final in 2023, when Sabalenka fought back to win in three sets.aver Arena that there would be no handshake afterwards, asking fans to “respect” that

Like other players from Ukraine, Svitolina does not shake hands with opponents from Russia or Moscow’s ally Belarus because of the war.