Australian Open 2026 results: Iga Swiatek loses to Elena Rybakina as her first attempt to complete a career Grand Slam ends in Melbourne

Swiatek’s serve game was not very strong, while the faster courts at Melbourne Park have historically led to problems against aggressive opponents.

That was always going to be a bad combination against 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina, who took advantage mercilessly in Wednesday’s match.

Rybakina (26 years old) was unable to find the rhythm of her serve in the first set, which began with an exchange of breaks.

Her low first serve percentage of 41% was uncharacteristic, but she had enough speed and aggression in her groundstrokes to outrun Swiatek.

This was demonstrated in the decisive twelfth match. Rybakina fought back from 0-30 with a deep comeback – pulling a loose splash from Swiatek – and an explosive win to seal the opener.

The momentum stayed with Rybakina as she immediately took control of the second set.

In perfect sunny conditions of 22 degrees Celsius following Tuesday’s heatwave, her groundstrokes continued to fly across the court and Swiatek was unable to resolve her problem.

Rybakina, the 2023 runner-up, is certain to face an American player in the semi-finals on Thursday, while sixth seed Jessica Pegula or fourth seed Amanda Anisimova will play in the remaining quarter-finals.