Sabalenka overpowers Jovic to advance to AO 2026 semifinals

“No pain no gain,” Aryna Sabalenka wrote on fitness trainer Jason Stacy’s head before stepping on to Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday.

The world No.1 rode that motto to become the first woman through to the Australian Open 2026 semifinals, triumphing 6-3 6-0 over 29th seed Iva Jovic in one hour and 29 minutes as Melbourne’s temperature reached 38C.

Sabalenka, the only player still standing in the women’s field to have previously lifted the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, is yet to drop a set at AO 2026.

And by booking her place in a fourth consecutive AO semifinal, the top seed has reached the last four at a major for the 14th time.

“These teenagers are testing me in the last couple of rounds,” said Sabalenka, referring to Jovic and 19-year-old Victoria Mboko, her fourth-round opponent.

“Incredible player, it was a tough match — don’t look at the score, it wasn’t easy at all.”

“She played incredible tennis, pushed me to … a better level. I’m super happy with the win, it was a tough battle.”

In a dominant display, the top seed struck 31 winners to Jovic’s 12 and won 61 per cent of points on the 29th seed’s second serve.

Sabalenka said she can’t remember too many matches in which her tennis was as flawless as it was during the second set.

“I felt like I have to step in and put even more pressure on her, because I can see that she's young, she's hungry, and I could tell during the match that no matter what's the score, she's still going to be there,” said Sabalenka.

“I knew that I have to step in and show the level and the class.”

“I think it really helped me [to] just go for my shots and … to trust my game.”

In the pair’s first-ever meeting, Sabalenka immediately exerted her authority by pouncing on Jovic’s second serves to break and quickly consolidated for a 3-0 lead.

Jovic, who at 18 is the youngest player to reach the last eight at the AO without dropping a set since Venus Williams in 1998, prevented herself from falling to an even bigger deficit.

Saving a break point with a flawless backhand, the right-hander put herself on the scoreboard in the match’s 23rd minute.

The world No.1 held to love in 98 seconds and immediately applied pressure with her return game, producing winners using both slice and topspin to earn three break points.

But the Californian, one of four Americans in the women’s quarterfinals, managed to save the trio thanks to increasing success moving her 27-year-old rival side-to-side and out of the ball’s reach with flat, fast-paced groundstrokes.

Jovic’s stunning ball-striking continued to trouble Sabalenka. Serving for the set at 5-3, the top seed saved one break point with a 177km/h ace down the tee before Jovic fended off a first set point with a sublime cross-court forehand.

The four-time major champion saved another two break points with her trusty serve and set up a second set point with a cracking forehand winner down the line, only to be denied when Jovic returned her 182km/h serve with interest.

Unflinching in focus, the top seed struck a brilliant backhand to earn a third set point and pummelled another backhand down the line to claim the set.

Click here to read article