Elina Svitolina delivered a defensive master class on Wednesday to secure her spot in the 2026 Italian Open semifinals.
The Ukrainian star stunned world No. 2 Elena Rybakina 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, overcoming a barrage of pressure in a match that lasted nearly two and a half hours.
The theme of the quarterfinal match was resilience. Svitolina faced 20 break points throughout the Rome contest — and successfully saved 16 of them. That comeback allowed her to turn the tide after a dominant opening set from Rybakina, who appeared to be cruising toward a straight-set victory.
Rybakina wielded her trademark power to take the first set 6-2, before Svitolina’s baseline grit and improved return depth forced the Kazakhstani star into longer rallies.
In the second set, Svitolina erased seven break points to force a decider. While Rybakina continued to apply pressure in the final set, Svitolina’s mental toughness proved impenetrable. She eventually converted her first match point to set up a high-stakes semifinal clash against No. 1 Iga Swiatek.
Elina Svitolina Matches Serena Williams Italian Open Record
With her latest victory, Svitolina achieved a historic milestone at the Foro Italico. She has now recorded 24 career match wins at the Italian Open, tying legendary champion Serena Williams for the third-most tournament wins.
Only the still-in-competition Swiatek and Victoria Azarenka hold more victories in Rome.
Svitolina, a two-time Italian Open champion, is now through to her first semifinal here since her 2018 title run.
She'll face Swiatek at 2:30 PM ET today, live on The Tennis Channel.
