Elina Svitolina Knocks Out Aryna Sabalenka at WTA Finals

OPA WIRE, Nov 14 (OPA) — Elina Svitolina booked her place in the semi-finals of the WTA Finals on Thursday by overcoming Aryna Sabalenka in a hard-fought three-set encounter. The Ukrainian veteran weathered a second-set comeback before dominating the decider to seal the 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory, ending Sabalenka's campaign in Riyadh.

"It was an extremely tough match, especially mentally. I was just trying to play one point at a time," said the 32-year-old Svitolina. Svitolina advances to face Czech world number eight Linda Noskova in the last four. Meanwhile, Sabalenka struggled with consistency, throwing her racquet to the ground in frustration as her semi-final hopes slipped away following an 11-game losing streak across her previous outings.

The defeat caps a difficult finish to the year for the 28-year-old Belarusian, who failed to win a major title in 2026 for the first time since 2022. Despite capturing three titles—including a Sunshine Double at Indian Wells and Miami—and holding the tour's best win percentage at 80.0% with a 47-11 record, Sabalenka lost her world number one ranking to Elena Rybakina in September.

Svitolina moves forward alongside group winner Mirra Andreeva, who maintained a flawless record by defeating compatriot Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-1. Andreeva will face Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals, while Svitolina prepares to test her resilience against Noskova as the tournament reaches its climax.