VIDEO SHOWS: AUSTRALIAN OPEN SEMI FINAL PRESS CONFERENCES FROM ARYNA SABALENKA, ELINA SVITOLINA, ELENA RYBAKINA AND JESSICA PEGULA SHOWS: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (JANUARY 29, 2026) (TENNIS AUSTRALIA – See restrictions before use) 1. WORLD NUMBER ONE ARYNA SABALENKA SITTING DOWN AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE 2. WHITE FLASH 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARYNA SABALENKA ON UMPIRE'S HINDRANCE CALL, SAYING: "That's actually never happened to me." 4. WHITE FLASH 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARYNA SABALENKA CONTINUES ON UMPIRE'S HINDRANCE CALL, SAYING: "There was, I mean, I think it was the wrong call, but whatever, she really – how do I say it in a nice way? – She really pissed me off, and it's actually helped me and benefited my game. I was more aggressive, I was not happy with the call, and it really helped me to get that game." 6. WHITE FLASH 7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARYNA SABALENKA ON LEARNING FROM LAST YEAR'S FINAL DEFEAT SAYING: "Yeah, I actually know what was wrong in all of those finals that I played and I lost, and I would say that last year was lots of lessons, lots of things to learn about myself, and definitely not going to happen again this season. And it's just a different mentality that I will try to have in each final that I play." 8. WHITE FLASH 9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARYNA SABALENKA ON REPORTS THAT 23-TIME GRAND SLAM WINNER SERENA WILLIAMS IS CONSIDERING A COMEBACK, SAYING: JOURNALIST ASKS: "Congrats. I'm sure you might have seen some chat about Serena Williams potentially coming back and wondering, as the world number one what you would think if that was to happen?" SABALENKA REPLIES: "That's amazing. I mean, I've heard that she's enjoying her life, and whatever makes her happy, I'm happy for her. If she wants to come back, that's her decision, it's going to be fun to see her back on tour. She's got the personality, and she's a fun one, so it will be cool." 10. WHITE FLASH 11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TWELFTH SEED ELINA SVITOLINA, ON HER AUSTRALIAN OPEN PERFORMANCE, SAYING: "Of course, gutted to not make it through tonight, but it's, of course, very difficult when you're playing a world number one who is really on fire, so yes, it was really complicated for me today. But yeah, I just want to take positives from the past weeks, the beginning of the year, and just carry them through for the season." 12. WHITE FLASH 13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FIFTH SEED ELENA RYBAKINA ON HER CLOSE SECOND SET, SAYING: "Yeah I was very nervous, frustrated when it was not going my way. I was leading 5-3, and then it went so, 5-3 I think, it went so close, and I think Jessica, she also stepped in, she started to return a bit better and putting some pressure, some long rallies. So yeah, I was just thinking to play point at a time and try to fight as much as possible, and again, I'm just happy that it went my way." 14. WHITE FLASH 15. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ELENA RYBAKINA ON SETTING UP A REPEAT OF THE 2023 AUSTRALIAN OPEN FINAL, SAYING: "Hopefully, with all the experience which I got from this last match, last time final I played here, I can bring it to Saturday's match and do my best. Focus on my serve, of course, since we're both very aggressive players, serve is important. And yeah, fight till the end, and hopefully this time it's going to go my way." 16. WHITE FLASH 17. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SIXTH SEED JESSICA PEGULA ON LOSING A TIGHT SECOND SET, SAYING: "That was tough, obviously, having set points, knowing that. I was able to stay in there and kind of start turning the match at times and start playing a lot better towards the end, just in time to give myself a chance. But yeah, that was tough tonight. I honestly am disappointed in my level, I feel like I didn't play very well until maybe the very end." STORY: Aryna Sabalenka said losing a point for hindrance after grunting in a rally helped fire her up on the way to an emphatic Australian Open semi-final win over Elina Svitolina on Thursday (January 29). World number one Sabalenka beat Svitolina 6-2 6-3 to reach her fourth successive Australian Open final, but she was infuriated at 2-1 in the first set when Swede Louise Azemar Engzell awarded the point to Svitolina mid-rally. Remonstrating with Engzell, Sabalenka was told she had made two noises after a shot, with the second deemed a hindrance as Ukrainian Svitolina returned the ball from the baseline. Twice champion Sabalenka demanded a review of the point and was given that but the decision stood. Meanwhile, beaten Svitolina noted it was important to take the positives from her Australian Open display, as the twelfth seed made the Melbourne semi-final stage for the first time in this tournament. Sabalenka will meet former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in a rematch of the 2023 Australian Open final when she beat the Kazakh in three sets to claim her first Grand Slam title. Fifth seed Rybakina held off American Jessica Pegula to win the late semi-final at Rod Laver Arena 6-3 7-6(7). Both players told their respective press conferences that they struggled to stay in the second set at times as the momentum pendulum swung both ways, during a set in which Pegula staved-off three match points, but passed-up two set points of her own before it was game-set-and-match to Rybakina. (Production: Joseph Andrews)
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