The 2026 Australian Open women’s semi-finals were marked by significant on-court friction as world number one Aryna Sabalenka defeated Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3 on Thursday, 29 January. While the straight-sets victory secured Sabalenka’s place in a fourth consecutive Melbourne final, the match was dominated by two major talking points: a rare "hindrance" penalty that infuriated the defending finalist and the pre-announced refusal of both players to shake hands at the net. What Happened to Lorenzo Musetti at Australian Open 2026?

The Hindrance Call Controversy

The match’s first major flashpoint occurred in the fourth game of the opening set. Chair umpire Louise Azemar Engzell abruptly halted a rally to penalise Sabalenka for hindrance, ruling that the Belarusian’s grunt was more elongated than usual. The umpire specifically noted a "two-tone" sound described as an "Uh-aya", which she deemed a distraction as Svitolina prepared her return.

A stunned Sabalenka immediately requested a video review, but the point penalty was upheld. Despite losing the point, Sabalenka used the frustration as fuel, immediately breaking Svitolina’s serve and winning five of the next six games. The Elina Svitolina-Gael Monfils Love Story: A Defining Chapter at Australian Open 2026.

Aryna Sabalenka Receives Hindrance Call

The No Handshake Protocol

As has become standard in matches involving Ukrainian players and opponents from Russia or Belarus, there was no post-match handshake between the two stars. To manage crowd expectations, tournament organisers made a sudden announcement on the Rod Laver Arena big screen moments before the first serve, asking fans to "respect" the players' decision to forego the tradition.

The tension was evident from the start, as the pair also skipped the customary pre-match joint photograph at the net. Svitolina, who reached her first Australian Open semi-final following a maternity break, maintained her stance of not shaking hands due to the ongoing invasion of her home country. Following the match, she stated that the reality of the war helped put her sporting loss into perspective.

No Handshake Notification

Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina Australian Open Final Rematch

On the court, Sabalenka’s power was the deciding factor. She struck 29 winners to Svitolina’s 12, effectively overrunning the Ukrainian’s defensive game. Although Svitolina briefly led 2-0 in the second set after a lapse in Sabalenka’s focus, the world number one quickly regained her poise to seal the victory in just 76 minutes.

Rematch Loading

Sabalenka now moves on to face fifth seed Elena Rybakina in Saturday’s final. The matchup is a direct rematch of the 2023 Australian Open final, which Sabalenka won in three sets. Both players enter the championship match in peak form, having reached the final without dropping a single set throughout the fortnight.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 29, 2026 11:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).