Sabalenka books spot in Australian Open semi-finals after dominant win over Jovic | Australian Open 2026
In the second set of Aryna Sabalenka’s 13th consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal, it quickly became clear that the world’s best tennis player had reached the state of flow and could do whatever she wanted with the ball. Leading 2-0 and mercilessly seeking a double break, Sabalenka rushed to the net and executed a sickly sweet half-volley forehand winner that would have satisfied even the legendary volleyball players of yesteryear.
There was a time when a great Sabalenka performance meant the Belarusian hit every ball, aimed every line and prayed for her shots to land. Today, she has become such a complete player, stifling opponents with the completeness of her game and having so many options at her disposal. Despite a valiant effort from her younger opponent to simply extend her high-quality opening set, Sabalenka bulldozed Jovic 6-3, 6-0 to continue her run to the draw.
Sabalenka’s victory signifies the extension of what is becoming one of the grand slam records of this century. She has now reached the semi-finals in 12 of her last 13 majors, the only anomaly being her dismal experience at the French Open in 2024, where she was desperately battling food poisoning during her quarter-final loss to Mirra Andreeva. Even then, she only fell narrowly, losing in three close sets.
“When I participate in the tournament, I don’t think about it, but sometimes we all stop for a second and think that the level we were able to reach seems really incredible and hard to believe,” Sabalenka said. “Of course, sometimes I think it’s amazing what I’ve been able to accomplish.”
This score does not reflect Jovic’s admirable fight. The youngest player in the top 150, Jovic had an incredible tournament in Melbourne, reaching her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, beating her first top 20 opponent, No. 7 seed Jasmine Paolini, and securing a result that would put her in the top 20, all at 18 years old.
Jovic immediately led Sabalenka 3-0, then fended off break points in his next two games. However, she dug deep and was competitive for the remainder of the first set. She made her last stand in the final bruising game of the first set on Sabalenka’s serve, generating three break points and saving two of Sabalenka’s set points before the Belarusian converted the set with a blazing backhand winner.
However, Sabalenka is on a completely different level than anyone the teenager has ever played and will play this season. Just when Jovic looked like she might make life difficult for the Belarusian, Sabalenka raised her level and she spent the second set eviscerating the ball, flying to the net, bombarding the American with shots on goal and repeatedly turning the defense to attack with ruthless efficiency.
Afterwards, Sabalenka was asked if she had played many sets in her career at the level she showed in the second set: “Definitely not many matches,” she replied. “In the second set I felt like I had to step in and put even more pressure on her, because I see she’s young, she’s hungry, and I could tell during the match that whatever the score, she’ll always be there trying to find her way. I knew I had to step in and show the level and the class.”
Its class and stratospheric level have been evident for years now. Once again, she is still in contention in a Grand Slam tournament as she fights for her fifth major title and third Australian Open title after reaching the final in the last four years. She awaits the winner of Tuesday evening’s quarter-final between Coco Gauff, her winner in last year’s Roland-Garros final, one of her most painful defeats, and the formidable Elina Svitolina.
