Australian Open 2026 live: Aryna Sabalenka faces Elina Svitolina in semifinal, Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula vie for women's singles final
Aryna Sabalenka faces off with Elina Svitolina on Rod Laver Arena for a spot in the Australian Open women's singles final, with Svitolina set to continue her refusal to shake hands with Russian or Belarusian athletes. Later on center court, 2023 Australian Open runner-up Elena Rybakina takes on first-time semifinalist Jessica Pegula.
Earlier, Australian pair Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans made a grand slam final in their first tournament as a men's doubles team, with the wildcards taking down Luke Johnson and Jan Zielinski 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to move into the decider against sixth seeds Neal Skupski and Christian Harrison.
Follow all the action from Melbourne Park in our live blog below:
Key Events
- 1 hours agoThu 29 Jan 2026 at 6:57am
- 1 hours agoThu 29 Jan 2026 at 6:33am
- 1 hours agoThu 29 Jan 2026 at 6:25am
Pinned
3h agoThu 29 Jan 2026 at 4:43am
Who's on at the Australian Open on day 12
Women's singles semifinals
- Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs Elina Svitolina (12) from 7:30pm on Rod Laver Arena
- Jessica Pegula (6) vs Elena Rybakina (5) - to follow first semifinal
11m agoThu 29 Jan 2026 at 8:02am
Handshake gate got a run in Brisbane this year too
By Simon Smale
Of course, a lack of handshake between Russian or Belarusian players and their Ukrainian counterparts has been a long story.
But it played out between Marta Kostyuk and Aryna Sabalenka earlier this year at the Brisbane International final.
It was interesting being in the press room in the lead up to that final - where the photographers were told there would be no photo with the pair before or after the match.
None of this is new to Sabalenka - she understands the stance the Ukrainian players take.
But it was interesting to get Kostyuk's thoughts on it all, which you can read here.
16m agoThu 29 Jan 2026 at 7:56am
The 'unequivocal messages' of Svitolina
By Simon Smale
Here's a message from the Ukrainian Tennis Federation.
Elina Svitolina put a cross on the camera lens after beating her last two Russian opponents - a symbol against the war.
Here's the translation.
Elina Svitolina, after her two most recent matches at the Australian Open, in which she defeated the flagless Shnaider and Andreeva, sent the world unequivocal messages
19m agoThu 29 Jan 2026 at 7:53am
Svitolina's excellent record against Russians since 2022
By Simon Smale
A lot has been made about the lack of interaction between Elina Svitolina and Aryna Sabalenka.
This is, of course, a result of the Russian occupation and war against Ukraine and Belarus's role in that.
It came to a head in 2023 at Roland Garros, when Svitolina was booed by the French crowd for refusing to shake Sabalenka's hand.
After that match, Sabalenka was pretty clear about her thoughts.
"Nobody in this world — Russian athletes or Belarusian athletes — support the war. Nobody. How can we support the war? Nobody, normal people will never support it," she said.
"Why [do] we have to go loud and say these things? This is like 1+1=2, of course we don't support war.
"And if we could affect, if we could stop it we would do it, but unfortunately it's not in our hands."
Pretty clear.
It does seem that Elina Svitolina has used her energy to great effect against Russian players in the four years since the invasion.
Of the 11 games she has played against Russian players currently in the top 200, she has a record of 9-2.
It's a bit different against Belarusian players though - where her record slips to 3-5.
Of those matches, her record against Sabalenka since the war started is 0-4.
1h agoThu 29 Jan 2026 at 7:08am
Davidson and Lapthorne win classic quad wheelchair doubles
By Andrew McGarry
There has been a ripper semifinal in the quad wheelchair doubles tournament on Kia Arena.
There were Aussies involved on both sides, with South Africa's Donald Ramphadi and Australian Jin Woodman up against second seeds Australia's Heath Davidson and Britain's Andy Lapthorne.
Ramphadi and Woodman took the first set 6-4, but Davidson and Lapthorne hit back, taking the second set to a tie-break and winning it 10-8.
Finally, Davidson and Lapthorne prevailed in the 10-point match tie-break, defeating Ramphadi and Woodman 10-6 in two hours and 15 minutes.
They will face the number one seeds in the final - Israel's Guy Sasson and Dutchman Niels Vink defeated Canada's Robert Shaw and Brazil's Ymanitu Silva 6-4, 6-3 in the other semifinal.
In the women's wheelchair doubles, it will be one versus two seeds in the final, as top seeds China's Xiaohui Li and Ziying Wang won through against Kgothatso Montjane of South Africa and Japan's Manami Tanaka 6-2, 6-3.
Second seeds Yui Kamiji of Japan and China's Zhenzhen Zhu beat Dutch pair Diede De Groot and Amiek Van Koot 6-3, 6-0 in the other semi.
Key Event
1h agoThu 29 Jan 2026 at 6:57am
Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic through to women's doubles final
By Andrew McGarry
What an amazing way to finish a women's doubles semifinal!
Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani had just broken back to keep things going, but they couldn't hold serve and have lost in three sets to Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic.
Danilina and Krunic simply brought too much pressure to bear on Dabrowski's serve as they produced a string of winners to rush to 0-40.
And then after an epic final point, with players pulled all over the court, Krunic produced a pinpoint crosscourt forehand from the corner that went just over the despairing Stefani to land in court for the matchwinner.
In the end, Dabrowski and Stefani were not getting enough first serves in, and they were made to pay.
Danilina and Krunic will now face the winner of tonight's second semifinal between fourth seeds Elise Mertens and Shuai Zhang and Japan's Ena Shibahara and veteran Vera Zvonareva.
1h agoThu 29 Jan 2026 at 6:50am
Danilina and Krunic broken while serving for the match
By Andrew McGarry
That's a surprise! Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani were in strife in this final set, but they have broken back against Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic to keep the match alive.
They saved one break point, but Krunic's forehand went well over the baseline on the second one to hand over the break.
We're back on serve at 5-4, but Dabrowski now has to serve to keep her team in the tournament.
1h agoThu 29 Jan 2026 at 6:45am
Danilina and Krunic on the verge after vital break
By Andrew McGarry
Things have moved on Rod Laver Arena.
Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic held a tough service game to get to 4-3 in the third, but they have now gone and broken Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani to lead 5-3.
They are going to be serving for the match.
1h agoThu 29 Jan 2026 at 6:37am
Back on serve in the final set of women's doubles semifinal
By Andrew McGarry
Of course, as soon as I say that it's holds everywhere, we get a break on Rod Laver Arena!
Gabriela Dabrowski was serving at 3-2 up in the final set with partner Luisa Stefani, but they ran into a pile of pressure from Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic.
They made a string of errors, as Danilina and Krunic raced to 0-40 before finishing the game with a forehand winner.
We're back on serve at 3-3.
1h agoThu 29 Jan 2026 at 6:33am
Two holds to start on resumption of play in women's doubles SF
By Andrew McGarry
The roof has been closed, and apparently a couple of birds who were getting a little too close to the affected area are both safe. So there's that.
In the women's doubles semifinal, play has resumed and we have had an exchange of holds from Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani and Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic.
Dabrowski and Stefani are still up a break in the final set, leading 3-2 with Dabrowski to serve.
Key Event
1h agoThu 29 Jan 2026 at 6:33am
Tennis Australia boss weighs in on players' privacy concerns
By Jon Healy
Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley has spoken to Tennis Channel about the privacy concerns raised by Coco Gauff (and backed up by a number of her rivals and colleagues) about the behind-the-scenes cameras at the Australian Open.
Gauff tried to find somewhere private to smash a racquet after she was blown off the court by Elina Svitolina in their quarterfinal, but was caught on camera and the clips were immediately all over social media.
She said there needed to be conversations about player privacy at Melbourne Park, and she was backed up by a couple of players, includingIga Świątek, who compared it to being "animals in the zoo" in a joking but not really joking manner.
Tiley has heard the complaints and says, while he still believes there are benefits for players, fans and broadcasters to have that backstage view, organisers don't want to make players uncomfortable and will make changes.
"We want to listen to the players, we want to really understand what their needs and what their wants are. So that's the first question we'll ask, we've heard you and whatever adjustments [we] need to make we will make," he says.
"It's a fine line between the player promotion and event promotion and where the cameras are. We do have many areas behind the scenes — for example a coaches room where coaches and players can interact [that] has no cameras, the locker room, the training rooms, the recovery rooms, the beauty room, the sleep room.
"We'll continue to review it and make sure the players are comfortable with it, but at the same time we also want to bring the fan and the player closer because we believe as tennis players we can really help lift up their value and also the love the fans have for them.
"It's a fine line we've got to keep walking."
Key Event
1h agoThu 29 Jan 2026 at 6:25am
Order of play for day 13 at the Australian Open
By Andrew McGarry
We have the match schedule for Rod Laver Arena for day 13 at the Australian Open - and there's an Australian title tilt first up on center court before the men's semi-finals in the evening.
Day 13 schedule (all times AEDT, Australians in bold)
Rod Laver Arena
Mixed Doubles final: Olivia Gadecki / John Peers (WC) vs Kristina Mladenovic / Manuel Guinard from 11am
Men's Singles semifinal: Carlos Alcaraz (1) vs Alexander Zverev (3) not before 1:30pm
Men's Singles semifinal: Novak Djokovic (4) vs Jannik Sinner (2) from 7:30pm
Key Event
1h agoThu 29 Jan 2026 at 6:21am
The roof is closing on Rod Laver Arena
By Andrew McGarry
Well, things are at a delicate stage in the final set of the women's doubles semifinal on Rod Laver Arena, but we are on a break here.
There is some rain falling at Melbourne Park, and play has been halted for the roof to be closed.
Fifth seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani are about to serve with the breakover Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic at 2-1 in the third set.
2h agoThu 29 Jan 2026 at 6:13am
One set all in women's doubles semifinal
By Andrew McGarry
Well, we're going the distance on Rod Laver Arena for the women's doubles semifinal.
It was locked at 3-3 on serve between Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic and Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani, with Danilina and Krunic winning the opening set in a tie-break.
But Dabrowski and Stefani finished the set quickly, breaking Krunic in the eighth game for a 5-3 lead, then holding to take the second 6-3.
The pairs are level at a set all, but Dabrowski and Stefani have maintained their momentum, and they have made an early break in the final set to lead 1-0.
2h agoThu 29 Jan 2026 at 5:55am
Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic a set away in women's doubles semifinal
By Andrew McGarry
We have an update from the women's doubles semifinal between Anna Danilina and Aleskandra Krunic and Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani.
Danilina and Krunic looked set to take the first set when they were up a break at 5-2, before Dabrowski and Stefani broke back at 5-4 and forced the set to a tie-break.
Danilina and Krunic made sure of the job in the breaker, however, winning the first three points to get the early mini-break, and finishing off the set with a forehand winner and an ace.
It's now 3-3 on serve in the second set.
2h agoThu 29 Jan 2026 at 5:30am
British/American pair to play Kubler and Polmans for men's doubles title
By Andrew McGarry
We've had a result in the second men's doubles semifinal on Margaret Court Arena, and it's an upset of sorts.
Sixth seeds Christian Harrison of the US and Britain's Neak Skupski have won in straight sets, beating third seeds Marcel Granollers of Spain and Argentina's Horacio Zeballos.
Harrison and Skupski took the opening set 6-3.
However Granollers and Zeballos got the critical break on Skupski's serve to lead 5-3 in the second. But they broke straight back and took the set to a tiebreak.
Harrison and Skupski went on to win the tiebreak 9-7 with a backhand winner on match point.
They will face the wild cards Kubler and Polmans for the title on Saturday.
2h agoThu 29 Jan 2026 at 5:14am
Sabalenka — Svitolina to kick off women's semifinals tonight
By Andrew McGarry
Just a reminder that the women's singles semifinals start and finish tonight with a doubleheader on Rod Laver Arena.
The first contest should be a cracker, with top seed and two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka taking on Elina Svitolina on the centre court.
Sabalenka has looked impressive, not dropping a set on her way to the last four. The Ukrainian former world number three Svitolina has been equally firing, especially in the last eight where she took apart the game of Coco Gauff, beating the American 6-1, 6-2 in under an hour.
The second semifinal sees Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina (5) taking on American Jessica Pegula (6). Pegula took out defending champion and friend Madison Keys in round four, before beating Amanda Anisimova in the quarterfinal.
Rybakina produced close to the performance of the tournament in the last eight, beating second seed Iga Świątek in straight sets.
These should be a cracking couple of semifinals, and it all will get underway at 7:30pm AEDT with Sabalenka vs Svitolina.
3h agoThu 29 Jan 2026 at 4:57am
Danilina and Krunic take early lead in women's doubles semifinal
By Andrew McGarry
On Rod Laver Arena, we are into the first women's doubles semifinal, between seventh seeds Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic, and fifth seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani.
It's been a solid start to this encounter, with high quality play. Danilina and Krunic have hit eight winners to just four for Dabrowski and Stefani.
Both sides have been getting a high percentage of first serves in, but Danilina and Krunic have broken Stefani's serve in the sixth game, ripping out a series
