Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina advanced to the third round of the 2026 Australian Open. In the second round, she defeated tournament debutant and 21-year-old Pole Linda Klimovicova in straight sets, 7:5, 6:1.
Svitolina was the only Ukrainian player to progress beyond the first round in Melbourne. She opened the tournament with a win over Spain’s Cristina Bucsa, while Marta Kostyuk, Dayana Yastremska, Oleksandra Oliynykova, Yuliia Starodubtseva and Anhelina Kalinina were eliminated in the opening round.
The match against Klimovicova lasted 1 hour and 16 minutes. Despite making more unforced errors than her opponent (24 to 22), Svitolina hit twice as many winners, 28 compared to 14.
The victory extended Svitolina’s winning streak to seven matches at the start of the 2026 season, following her title at the WTA 250 tournament in Auckland. It was her 11th appearance in the second round of the Australian Open overall and her ninth in a row. Last year, she reached the quarterfinals.
In the third round of the Australian Open 2026, Svitolina will face the 23rd seed, neutral athlete Diana Shnaider. It will be their first meeting on tour.