Aryna Sabalenka vs Elina Svitolina Prediction, Pick, Odds for Australian Open Semifinal

Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina will face off in the semifinals of the Australian Open on Thursday, January 29.

Sabalenka cruised past 18-year old Iva Jovic in straight sets in the quarters, while Svitolina eliminated Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-2. This match will tentatively start at 3:30 a.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN.

Find my Australian Open Semifinal preview and an Sabalenka vs Svitolina prediction for Thursday below.

Aryna Sabalenka vs Elina Svitolina Player Prediction

• Sabalenka vs Svitolina Picks: Over 5.5 Breaks of Serve | Svitolina Over 2.5 Aces

My Sabalenka vs Svitolina best bets are on six or more breaks of serve in the match and for Svitolina to record over 2.5 aces. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live Australian Open odds page.

Sabalenka vs Svitolina Odds

Sabalenka vs Svitolina Preview, Prediction

by Tudor Cosma

Aryna Sabalenka Betting Preview

Sabalenka is a 27-year-old Belarusian, currently ranked world No. 1. Sabalenka is indisputably the best player in the world, a fact backed by valid arguments: One only needs to watch her matches to see how she dominates her opponents and the sheer gap that exists between her and the rest of the circuit.

While she occasionally has sub-par matches — such as last year's Roland Garros final, where she committed 70 unforced errors — these are exceptions. In nine out of 10 matches, she completely overwhelms her opposition.

Her matches can sometimes be considered "predictable" because her dominance is so consistent; often, it's clear from the first game that she will prevail in straight sets.

We haven't seen a woman this dominant in the WTA since Serena Williams.

Sabalenka is the favorite to win all four Grand Slams this season — a feat she nearly achieved last year. In 2025, she won the US Open, but lost a dramatic Australian Open final to Madison Keys, a tight Roland Garros final to Gauff and a three-set Wimbledon semifinal to Amanda Anisimova.

Effectively, only four matches stood between her and a calendar Grand Slam.

She possesses one of the world's best serves (both first and second) and is the most aggressive baseline player on tour. Crucially, this aggression is calculated and rarely leads to high error counts.

Mentally, she's unshakable; even after a violent negative reaction on court, she regroups instantly. Her opponents are often intimidated, knowing they must play the match of their lives just to stand a chance.

Sabalenka started 2026 perfectly, winning Brisbane without dropping a set.

Here in Melbourne, she's maintained that record, though she faced tests against young talents like Victoria Mboko and Iva Jovic.

Now she faces a veteran of a different caliber who knows how to manage the pressure of a Grand Slam semifinal.

Elina Svitolina Betting Preview

Svitolina is a 31-year-old Ukrainian, currently ranked world No. 12. Svitolina remains one of the most relevant and accomplished players of her generation.

A former world No. 3 and consistent top-10 presence, she's remarkably returning to the world's top 10 this coming Monday.

Svitolina’s career has been uniquely fragmented; she took a long maternity leave and has been deeply affected by the war in her home country. Her return to elite tennis is a testament to her immense talent and psychological strength.

In many ways, the current version of Svitolina seems more efficient than her younger self. She's lost none of her physical defensive capabilities and moves exceptionally well from the baseline.

She's clearly motivated by playing for her country and her daughter, Skai.

Her 2025 season was impressive, featuring an Australian Open quarterfinal, a title in Rouen and a Madrid semifinal, where she narrowly lost to today’s opponent. She also pushed Iga Swiatek to a competitive set at Roland Garros.

She began 2026 flawlessly, winning the Auckland title.

At the Australian Open, she's continued this impeccable run, winning all five matches in straight sets. Her path has been incredibly difficult, featuring wins over Diana Shnaider, Mirra Andreeva (No. 7) and Gauff (No. 3).

Her dismantling of Gauff in the quarterfinals (6-1, 6-2) was a statement performance, where her return game was simply world-class.

Sabalenka vs Svitolina Predictions, Betting Analysis

I have two bets for this semifinal match.

Sabalenka is the world's best, yet her serve has shown slight vulnerabilities under pressure this fortnight, conceding two breaks to Mboko and facing five break points against Jovic.

Svitolina is on a 10-match winning streak and is playing with immense confidence. She dismantled top-tier players like Andreeva and Gauff by being relentless on the return.

Given Svitolina's current defensive level and Sabalenka's high-risk aggression, I expect a high-intensity match with multiple service exchanges. My first prediction is for over 5.5 breaks in the match.

While Sabalenka is the favorite, this match is expected to be longer and more competitive than her previous rounds. Svitolina has been serving with high precision this month, recording five aces against Shnaider and four against both Andreeva and Gauff.

To compete with Sabalenka’s power, Svitolina must maintain an aggressive first delivery. I believe she'll hit at least three aces in this semifinal.

Pick: Over 5.5 Breaks of Serve | Svitolina Over 2.5 Aces