And so Aryna Sabalenka won 6:2, 6:3 after just 76 minutes in a largely one-sided match. She is only the second player after the Swiss Martina Hingis to reach the final of the Australian Open four times in a row. Her opponent will be determined late on Thursday evening (local time) between Jessica Pegula (USA) and Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan).
Shortly after the end of the match, Sabalenka gave a tearful on-court interview. She was happy about the 30-year-old record set by Martina Hingis. Tomorrow, on her day off, she will go out for a nice meal with her boyfriend and then watch a bit of Netflix, said the Belarusian.
The day will probably be a little different for Svitolina. “Without a doubt, every time I wake up in the morning I see this terrible news from my home country,” said the 31-year-old at the post-match press conference.
“I really can’t complain because people in Ukraine have a terrible everyday life. I, on the other hand, am privileged.” She reported that she receives an incredible amount of encouraging messages every day and is proud to be able to give something back – for example with her sporting performance at this tournament, but also through her foundation for Ukrainian children. “I know that when I return to Ukraine soon, I will meet people who are experiencing dark, gray days. Sport can give these people some hope and unite our country. We urgently need that right now.”
