Coco Gauff vs Elina Svitolina — AO 2026 Quarter-final

By Amelia Holt • January 27, 2026

Live: Coco Gauff faces Elina Svitolina in AO 2026 quarter-final; Alcaraz meets de Minaur. Heat delays wheelchair matches.

Coco Gauff faces Elina Svitolina in an Australian Open 2026 quarter-final on Rod Laver Arena.
Early action: Svitolina breaks to take an opening advantage while Gauff fights back.
Winner will meet world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-final; Alcaraz plays de Minaur later.
Wheelchair tournament start postponed as Melbourne forecasts 42°C; roofs used across singles and doubles courts.

Gauff and Svitolina meet for a place in the semis

Coco Gauff takes on Elina Svitolina in the Australian Open quarter-finals, with the winner set to face world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the last four. The match is being played on Rod Laver Arena, where both players have warmed up for what promises to be a physical contest.

Match early momentum

Live updates show Svitolina grabbing the early initiative with an early break, forcing Gauff to fight from behind. The Ukrainian used aggressive baseline play and pressured Gauff’s serve, earning multiple break opportunities. Gauff answered in patches, breaking back during an extended game that featured a 26-shot rally, but Svitolina repeatedly tested the American’s serve.

What Gauff brings to the court

At 21, coco gauff remains one of the youngest players to make three consecutive Australian Open quarter-finals since Maria Sharapova. The French Open champion has improved her serve this season and said confidence has been key, writing “confidence is the key” on the camera lens after her fourth-round win. Gauff leads their head-to-head 2-1, including comeback wins in recent meetings.

Svitolina’s experience and tactics

Elina Svitolina is contesting her 14th major quarter-final and is determined to reach her first Australian Open semi-final after three previous quarter-final exits in Melbourne. Her game plan in the early stages has focused on breaking Gauff’s rhythm at the net and forcing errors with deep, angled groundstrokes.

Other headline matches and conditions

Later on Rod Laver Arena world number one Carlos Alcaraz faces local favourite Alex de Minaur in the men’s quarter-final. Both matches are on show courts with roofs, and organisers have postponed the start of the wheelchair tournament until Wednesday because temperatures are expected to reach about 42°C in Melbourne.

Listen and follow live

UK listeners can follow radio coverage on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra (Tennis Breakfast). Live text updates and scoreboards are available via official tournament coverage and broadcasters.