Elena Rybakina Secures Semifinal Spot at the Australian Open

Kazakhstani tennis star Elena Rybakina has advanced to the semifinals of the Australian Open, a Grand Slam category tournament. The world number five secured a dominant victory in the quarterfinals over world number two, Iga Świątek of Poland, with a score of 7-5, 6-1.

The second set of the match ended 6-1. In tennis terminology, this result is often referred to as a "baguette" (due to the shape of the number "1" resembling a French loaf). Following the match, fans on social media have been buzzing with comments like "Rybakina served Świątek a baguette." Notably, in the earlier rounds of the tournament, Rybakina consistently defeated lower-ranked opponents to reach this stage.

In this year's Australian Open, the Kazakhstani player has not dropped a single set. She has spent minimal time on the court across five matches and has now won 18 of her last 19 competitive outings. In the semifinals, Rybakina will face world number six, Jessica Pegula of the United States.

This marks Rybakina’s second semifinal appearance at the Australian Open. In 2023, she reached the final but narrowly lost to Aryna Sabalenka. Overall, Rybakina is a one-time Grand Slam champion, having won the Wimbledon title in 2022, becoming the first player from Kazakhstan to win a major. Born in Russia, she has been representing Kazakhstan since 2018.

There are four prestigious Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Reaching the semifinals of such events is considered a massive achievement. For reaching this stage, Rybakina has secured $841,000 in prize money and 780 ranking points. The tournament winner will receive 2,000 points and a significantly higher payout.