AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 27, 2026

Elina Svitolina

Press Conference

E. SVITOLINA/C. Gauff

6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Elina, congratulations. Into your first semifinal here at the Australian Open. Just give us your overview of the match and your performance today.

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, it was a good day in the office. Very, very pleased with the way that I've been playing, not only this match, but I think the tournament overall.

So, yeah, just very happy. Just happy to be in semis finally after so many years here, so many tries. Yeah, finally to be in semis in Melbourne.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. What are the emotions to be in a semi and to be a win away from your first final?

ELINA SVITOLINA: To be fair, I don't really look that far ahead. I try to take, you know, the match as it is. It's going to be another big challenge. Of course, you know, I'm a step away from the final, but yeah, it's, for me, important to focus on my recovery, on my tactical things that I have to work on tomorrow. Yeah, just be ready for big challenge.

Q. When you see your opponent is not having her best day, what is your strategy in terms of what you were trying to do to, you know, make this thing keep going in your favor?

ELINA SVITOLINA: It's, for sure, adds maybe a little bit of pressure. Of course, it's a good feeling and a bad feeling at the same time, because you feel like you have a chance, you know, to play well, you have a chance to win this match. You have to keep going. You have to keep trying to perform well.

I think I played well. I think I dealt with it well. As Coco is such a great champion, you know, she came back couple of times in our matches being one set down. For me, you know, I tried to keep building, keep trying to play well and, yeah, try to really stay focused from the start until the end.

Q. I thought you played some really bold tennis today and attacking with your forehand. Obviously playing more aggressive tennis has been a theme for you, I think, over the past few years. How natural does it feel to play that way at this point in a big match like this?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Right now it's quite natural for me. I think since I came back after pregnancy, for me it's been all about trying to find, you know, those opportunities to attack, trying to also not to rush, because I think I still had some matches where I rushed too much.

So it's, yeah, all about the balance. But now pretty much for me it's about trying to move my feet well, trying to find the small opportunities to take the initiative and, yeah, try to strike first.

I think sometimes in some moments I feel like I can do better. Some moments, you know, I can hold a little bit more, so yeah.

Q. What are the challenges in facing the world No. 1 on this court? And how do you plan to stop her from settling into a rhythm?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, not sure I'm going to tell you now exactly what I'm going to do (laughter). But tomorrow is a day where I will take time to talk to my coach about a few tactical things that I have to work on on practice court. Have a day to recover also physically. Even though the match was under one hour, it still takes quite a bit from your body.

So for me those two things will be the priority. Yeah, it's a big challenge, of course, to play No. 1 in the world.

Q. You obviously had some great achievements in your career already, including winning the end-of-year Finals. Do you think you're a better player now than you were, say, seven or eight years ago?

ELINA SVITOLINA: I would say yes, but also, now I have the experience from previous years. Of course, I cannot not give myself credits from what I achieved years ago, because winning the WTA Finals, playing against great players at that time, and also playing semifinals, for me, still was a great achievement. I think without that achievement, I wouldn't be who I am right now.

I feel like for me it's all about trying to find new ways to win now. There are so many young players. There's so many aggressive players who, if you're not at your best, they are just taking the match from you. So you have to evolve your game. You have to be better. You have to try to find the ways to find something that works for you.

For me, it's all about trying to be better every week, because you know, tennis evolvement is not stopping. So you have to always keep searching.

Q. How does it feel to play Aryna Sabalenka? You've played her a few times. What are her weapons?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Of course, I mean, it's no secret that she's very powerful player. I watch a little bit of her match today. She was playing great tennis, and I think, you know, the power on all aspects of her game is her strengths.

Yeah, I think she's very consistent for the past years with everything that she does on the court. Yeah, for me, I'll have to be ready for that, try to find the ways and the little holes, little opportunities in her game.

Of course, you know, when you play the top players, you have to find, you know, these small opportunities and then be ready to take them.

Q. I know you've talked quite a bit about the break you took last year to refresh mentally. I'm curious, was that an easy decision or a difficult decision? Obviously you hear from players who maybe it's hard to kind of step away for some time from the tour, because they feel like if they don't play, they'll lose their spot in a way, and it will be hard to get back to where they were before. For you, was that an easy decision to make?

ELINA SVITOLINA: You mean last year?

Q. Last year, yeah, yeah.

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, it was difficult decision in one hand, but then I spoke with my team, I spoke with Gael, I spoke with my family. You know, we found also bunch of positives for it, because I think I mentioned already earlier a couple of days back that if I wouldn't stop, if I would keep pushing last year, I think I wouldn't start here. I would be exhausted, and even not sure if I would be injury-free. Because when you play at the highest level and you push yourself and you are on the edge, this is where the injuries happen. This is where the tension is just too much, and your body gives up.

So for me it was important to just step back. And I'm very happy that I did that. Of course, now it's easy to say, because the results have been great with winning Auckland and playing well here, but I still think it's something that helped me.

Now, of course, I have no regrets to take this time. So I don't know how I would be if I would lose the first round or play bad, but now, of course, it's worked for me.

Q. Have you surprised yourself at all with how quickly you've found your form back after that break?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, I tried to trust myself, and my coach always tells me that I have to trust myself. When I'm fresh, when I'm mentally ready to face difficult situations, then I can play well.

I can be tough on the court. Maybe not win easy against some opponents, but still, I'm ready to dig deep. I am ready to fight, to come back when it's difficult also, because I mean, you are losing pretty much every single week, so you need to bounce back quickly, because there is another week, there is another big tournament coming up.

So it's for these moments that when you have to be fresh mentally, to be calm, and to understand what you did well, what you didn't, analyze, and go again practice court and give yourself, again, a chance to play better.

Q. Since the win, have you managed to take a look through any messages of support from home?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Just quickly, because there have been many messages. Just quickly, I saw there's lots of them.

Of course, for my country, it's great. I know that lots of people been watching, especially the matches that I had before.

It's, of course, very, for me, very close to my heart to see a lot of support from Ukrainians, and lots of people, also, get to know tennis in Ukraine, which is great, because of course, right now it's very -- it was, I think, one of the toughest winters for Ukrainian people and without electricity and everything.

So I feel like bring this light, a little light, you know, even just positive news to Ukrainian people, to my friends when they are watching my matches, yeah, of course, it's great feeling for me.