Elina Svitolina Defeats Aryna Sabalenka to Reach WTA Finals Semifinals

Elina Svitolina defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 on Friday at Indian Wells, claiming the final semifinal berth in the WTA Finals.

The sixth-ranked Ukrainian secured her first victory over Sabalenka in six years, ending a five-match skid against the Belarusian world number two, NTN24 reported.

The win advanced Svitolina to a Saturday semifinal against Czech player Linda Noskova. Sabalenka finished third in Group 2 with a 1-2 record and was eliminated from the tournament.

Svitolina celebrated her victory with visible emotion before declining to shake hands at the net, adhering to the stance taken by Ukrainian players regarding opponents from Russia and Belarus, according to NTN24.

The encounter lasted 1 hour and 51 minutes on the hard courts in California, Europa Press reported.

Svitolina broke Sabalenka’s serve three times in the opening set to take it 6-3, while Sabalenka managed one break. Sabalenka responded in the second set by breaking twice and winning 6-3, as Europa Press detailed the match statistics.

In the deciding third set, Svitolina dominated by breaking three more times and yielding only a single game to close out a 6-1 victory, Match Tenis reported.

Svitolina finished the match with four aces and nine double faults, recording a 57 percent success rate on her first serve. Sabalenka registered one ace and three double faults with a 49 percent first-serve conversion rate.

Svitolina finished second in Group 2 with a 2-1 record, earning her a meeting with Group 1 leader Linda Noskova on Saturday.

Noskova finished group play at 2-1. Svitolina holds a prior victory over the Czech player from the 2026 Stuttgart quarterfinals, Match Tenis noted.

The other semifinal features Russian player Mirra Andreeva, who went 3-0 to win Group 2, against American player Jessica Pegula, who finished second in Group 1 at 2-1.

Sabalenka finished her tournament run in third place within Group 2, leaving her without the WTA Finals title as the highest-ranked player remaining in the draw following Elena Rybakina’s withdrawal.

What was the final score of the match between Elina Svitolina and Aryna Sabalenka? Svitolina won 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 on Friday at Indian Wells to secure a spot in the WTA Finals semifinals.

Svitolina faces Czech player Linda Noskova on Saturday after finishing second in Group 2 with a 2-1 record.

Ukrainian players do not shake hands at the net with competitors representing Russia or Belarus as a protest against the invasion of Ukraine, NTN24 reported.

More on this story: Mirra Andreeva defeats Elina Svitolina at WTA Finals · Jessica Pegula Defeats Marta Kostyuk at WTA Finals to Keep Qualification Hopes Alive

More on WTA Finals: Jessica Pegula Defeats Marta Kostyuk to Stay in WTA Finals Contention · Jessica Pegula Advances to WTA Finals Semifinals After Beating Noskova · Karolína Muchová faces Aryna Sabalenková at the WTA Finals