A blisteringly hot day transformed into an oppressive night at the Australian Open, culminating in Coco Gauff venting her frustration by smashing her racket following a one-sided defeat against Elina Svitolina, which eliminated her from the tournament and denied her a semifinal berth.
The tenth day of this premier event kicked off with top seed Aryna Sabalenka securing a decisive 6-3, 6-0 victory over 18-year-old Iva Jovic on Tuesday, prompting the activation of the Extreme Heat Policy and the closure of the roof on Rod Laver Arena.
The central court remained covered when the 12th-seeded Svitolina delivered a surprising performance, overpowering the third-seeded Gauff with a 6-1, 6-2 win in just 59 minutes, thus earning her spot in the semifinals against Sabalenka.
The men’s quarterfinals were divided into day and night sessions, with one match played indoors and the other under the night sky.
<pCarlos Alcaraz, the top-ranked player, is now just two wins away from achieving a career Grand Slam after triumphing with a score of 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 in the final match of the day.
In his first semifinal appearance in Australia, Alcaraz will face 2025 finalist Alexander Zverev, who overcame 20-year-old Learner Tien with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 7-6 (3) in an afternoon match held under the roof.
The two players are tied at 6-6 in their head-to-head encounters, with Zverev having secured victory in their only previous meeting in Australia during the 2024 quarterfinals.
“It’s going to be an exciting match,” Alcaraz remarked. “I can’t wait to play against him here and seek some revenge.”
Svitolina’s Winning Streak
After returning from a mental health hiatus, Svitolina has advanced to the semifinals here for the first time and is currently on a 10-match winning streak, having kicked off the season with a title in Auckland, New Zealand.
This impressive run will see her re-enter the Top 10 rankings next week.
“I’m very happy with how the tournament has gone so far and, of course, it has always been my dream to return to the Top 10 after maternity leave,” stated Svitolina, a 31-year-old Ukrainian who is competing in her 12th major tournament since her break in 2022.
She and French player Gael Monfils, who is retiring this year, are parents to daughter Skai.
Having lost in the quarterfinals here in 2018, 2019, and last year, Svitolina took control against Gauff from the beginning. The 21-year-old American had a tough time with her serve, racking up five double-faults in the first set, during which she was broken four times.
Although she managed to hold serve in the fourth game of the second set, it was too late to turn the tide. After exiting the court, the two-time major champion vented her frustrations by smashing her racket into the concrete ramp seven times on her way back to the players’ area.
Gauff mentioned that she sought a secluded spot away from cameras to express her frustrations, eventually finding the quietest place available.
On the other hand, Svitolina expressed her desire to win for the millions of supporters watching from abroad.
“It’s very meaningful to me to see the support from Ukrainians,” she said. “Currently, it’s one of the hardest winters for the people of Ukraine, with no electricity and so much more.”
“I feel like I’m bringing a bit of light, some positive news to the Ukrainian people.”
Heat Policy
The roof of the main stadium was retracted for the final match once the temperature dropped from a peak of just over 42°C at 5 p.m. local time. Fortunately, the temperature at the Australian Open site did not reach the anticipated high of 45°C.
Sabalenka is pursuing her third Australian Open title in four years, having won consecutive titles in 2023 and 2024 and losing last year’s final to Madison Keys.
The first quarterfinal was held outdoors despite warnings of extreme heat, but the roof was closed for subsequent matches after the tournament’s heat index exceeded the limit.
“I suppose, yeah, as women, we are stronger than the men,” Sabalenka joked during her press conference. “They had to close the roof for the guys so they wouldn’t suffer!”
Sabalenka quickly established her dominance, jumping to a 3-0 lead in the first set against the 29th-seeded Jovic.
Jovic had three break point opportunities in the ninth game, which stretched over 10 minutes, but she was unable to convert against the world’s top-ranked woman.
In the final game, Sabalenka served an ace on break point and sealed the match with another ace on match point, successfully saving all five break points she faced.
This victory marked her second consecutive win over emerging teenage players, following her fourth-round triumph against 19-year-old Canadian Vicky Mboko.
“These teenagers have really challenged me in the last few rounds, incredible players,” Sabalenka noted about Jovic. “It was a tough match. Don’t focus on the score. She played exceptional tennis and pushed me to elevate my game. It was indeed a battle.”