The Australian Open 2026 Women’s Quarterfinals take center stage tonight as Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff return to the court with semifinal spots on the line.
Sabalenka enters as a heavy favorite, while Gauff faces a much tougher test in a match that could turn on long rallies and serve control.
Tuesday night’s schedule features Elena Rybakina facing Iga Swiatek, followed by an all-American quarterfinal between Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova that is expected to close out the Australian Open women’s quarterfinals.
Join me for a simple preview of the Australian Open 2026 Women’s quarterfinals matchups, beginning Monday, January 26.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Iva Jovic (Monday, 7:30 pm EST)
Aryna Sabalenka comes in as the clear favorite, and for good reason. She is serving big, taking returns early, and ending points quickly.
When Sabalenka plays this style, she puts constant pressure on her opponent to defend right away. If she keeps her error count under control, this match stays on her racquet.
Iva Jovic, though, is not going to roll over. She is feisty, plays with confidence, and has absolutely nothing to lose in this spot.
Jovic will swing freely, try to extend rallies, and look to test Sabalenka’s patience early. For her to stay competitive, she needs Sabalenka to rush and force shots, but even then, the path to an upset is narrow.
Coco Gauff vs Elina Svitolina (Monday, 3am EST)
Coco Gauff leads the head-to-head 2–1, but their last two matches went to three sets, underscoring how competitive this rivalry has become.
Gauff is one of the best returners in the game. That return game hides a multitude of sins, but if her serve and forehand start to waver, she could be in real trouble tonight.
Elina Svitolina’s job is to make Gauff uncomfortable. She will look to extend rallies, get extra balls back in play, and attack the Americans’ service game every chance she gets.
Svitolina is patient, experienced, and very good at adapting to the pace. If this turns into a physical match with longer exchanges, the pressure shifts to Gauff’s sometimes inconsistent serve and forehand.
Elena Rybakina vs Iga Swiatek (Tuesday TBD)
Iga Swiatek holds a 5–3 edge over Elena Rybakina on hard courts, a reminder that despite the tight odds, Swiatek has found ways to solve this matchup on this surface.
Rybakina brings one of the biggest serves and a first-strike games left in the draw.
When she is landing first serves and stepping into her forehand, points stay short, and opponents are immediately under pressure.
For Rybakina, the goal is simple. She wants to control the center of the court, finish points early, and avoid getting pulled into long rallies. When she does that, she can beat anyone on a hard court.
Swiatek’s path looks very different. She needs depth, movement, and time.
Swiatek is at her best when rallies extend, and she can use her defense and footwork to wear opponents down.
If Swiatek can absorb the early pace and turn this into a physical match, the balance starts to shift. But if Rybakina continues to win cheap points on serve, Swiatek will be under constant pressure to hold, and could fold.
Jessica Pegula vs Amanda Anisimova (Tuesday TBD)
Jessica Pegula is 3–0 lifetime against Amanda Anisimova, but all three meetings came before Anisimova found her rhythm and confidence at this level, which makes this matchup far more competitive than the head-to-head suggests.
Pegula wins matches by making opponents hit extra shots. She keeps the ball deep, takes time away, and forces rallies to extend until mistakes show up on the other side of the net.
When Pegula is controlling depth and returning serve well, she is extremely difficult to rush.
Her consistency and court positioning allow her to slowly take control of matches without needing to force the issue.
Anisimova brings the opposite profile. She looks to end points quickly with clean ball striking and aggressive shot-making, especially off the forehand side.
If Anisimova’s timing is on, Pegula can get rushed and pushed into defense.
If rallies extend and Anisimova has to hit multiple extra shots per point, Pegula’s steadiness could begin to wear her down.
The Takeaway
With semifinal spots on the line, these matches are less about reputation and more about execution.
The player who controls serve games early and handles pressure in extended rallies will have the edge.
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Phil Naessens is a tennis betting analyst and former tennis coach with decades of experience in player development and match analysis. He is the founder of Crush Rush News and host of the Crush & Rush Tennis Podcast, focusing on price-first betting strategy, market efficiency, and transparency in sports wagering.
