Melbourne, Jan 29 : Elina Svitolina left Melbourne Park without a place in the Australian Open final, but not without renewed belief in where her game is headed. The Ukrainianâ??s run at the Australian Open 2026 came to an end on Thursday with a 6-2, 6-3 semifinal loss to World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, who advanced to her fourth consecutive final in Melbourne.

It was Svitolinaâ??s first appearance in the last four at the Australian Open, and despite the straight-sets scoreline, she emerged determined to focus on progress rather than disappointment.

â??(Iâ??m) definitely very, very happy with the two weeks here and in New Zealand as well...it's of course very difficult when you're playing world No.1. But (I) just want to take positives from the past weeks and the beginning of the year and just carry them through the season,â?? Svitolina said in her post-match press conference.

The 31-year-old acknowledged that her serve let her down against Sabalenka, calling it â??not greatâ??, but felt other parts of her game were working. â??To be fair, I thought I was returning today quite well. I think I was returning well, but then her second shot was unbelievable. She was returning well quickly, and then she had another punch coming, the second shot after her serve,â?? she said.

While the defeat may linger in the short term, Svitolinaâ??s semifinal showing underlined the steady upward trajectory of her form. This year marked her 13th appearance at the Australian Open, and she surpassed her previous best results at the tournament. Prior to 2026, her deepest runs in Melbourne came in 2018, 2019, and 2025, when she reached the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champion Madison Keys.

â??Of course, when you play players like (Sabalenka], you don't have too much time to waste,â?? Svitolina reflected. â??I feel I'm in good form, I think I can definitely draw some confidence, and look forward to the upcoming tournaments. We're just two weeks or maybe three weeks into the year.â??

Her path to the semifinals was particularly impressive. Svitolina knocked out World No.8 Mirra Andreeva in the fourth round and then dismantled World No.3 Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals, conceding only three games. The victories marked the first time since 2019 that she had beaten top-10 opponents in back-to-back matches at a Grand Slam.

Beyond the tennis, Svitolina spoke emotionally about what the tournament meant to her personally and nationally. Despite falling one match short of the final, she framed her Australian Open campaign as something to be proud of.

â??I'm still disappointed that I didn't go furtherâ?¦But I feel like I should not be allowed to really be sad. I have a great positionâ?¦I have this amazing opportunity to play on centre court here, represent my country, to do it in a decent way, and to have the opportunity, you know, to use my words and just be there for my people. I feel like for the past weeks, they have been really carrying me through with great vibes, with great emotions, and for me, this is something that really motivates me,â?? she said.

/IANS