Liudmila Samsonova had it worn out. One point at a time, one game at a time, she led Aryna Sabalenka to the exit on Friday afternoon. The course of the world number 2 thus stopped in the third round.
The two right-handers fought a proud battle lasting nearly three hours in what was the first matchup of the day on center court at the IGA stadium. Samsonova, 18e world, ultimately defeated Sabalenka in three sets of 7-6 (2), 6-4 and 6-3.
It hadn’t been 10 minutes since her match was over that Sabalenka met the media. Smiling despite the disappointment, she immediately gave her opponent her due credit.
“It was a very difficult game. [Samsonova] played amazing tennis,” the Belarusian dropped.
The 25-year-old admitted she was not “physically ready” to perform at her “best level” on Friday. “I wasn’t able to move as I can, serve as well as I can, so it was difficult for me,” she explained. Still, she was “happy” with the “fighting spirit” she demonstrated.
Sabalenka indeed fought valiantly in front of a Samsonova in full control, never shaken. The most recent Australian Open champion, whose non-verbal speaks for itself on the court, nevertheless often showed her discouragement and frustration. She was also aware of it after her duel.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Lyudmila Samsonova
“That’s why sometimes I don’t like to watch my games. I can’t bear to see myself struggling so much with my emotions. But yeah, it wasn’t my best performance physically, in the way I deal with my emotions. »
“But it’s okay,” she added serenely. I will learn from this game and move on. »
Samsonova, ice cream
Clearly, Samsonova was on a mission to wear down the world No. 2 with a nice variety of shots. But beyond that, the Russian showed admirable concentration throughout the duel. On several occasions, she got out of delicate situations nicely, avoiding the break.
To be honest, Sabalenka only converted 2 of his 13 break points, which is not exactly the best recipe for winning. But she kept fighting, delivering solid games for fans. At 2-2 in the second set, she scored her first break in front of a delighted crowd.
On the other side of the field, the 15e seed has never lost its means. Straight as an oak tree, icy before the few mood swings of her opponent, she stayed the course. And that resulted in some very high quality play.
In the third round, Samsonova broke for the first time. Sabalenka took revenge a few minutes later, under the “let’s go Aryna!” from the bleachers, but again Samsonova kept her composure. She missed a first match point, before finally ending the duel.
“There are several points [dans ce match] which were turning points, but yeah, I guess it just wasn’t my best day,” Sabalenka summed up.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
The journey of the world number 2 stopped in the third round.
“All in all, it’s been a great week. [J’ai reçu] incredible support. I am really disappointed to have lost and not to be able to enjoy this atmosphere again”, she said sorry.
Between them, the Russian and the Belarusian had 21 aces. Throughout the National Bank Open, each time a player scores an ace, $30 is deposited in a fund that helps Ukraine through the Tennis for Peace Foundation. This means that $630 was raised in this duel alone.
Samsonova will face Belinda Bencic, 12e seed, in the quarter-finals, Friday evening.
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Russian Alana Tuaeva has been temporarily suspended on suspicion of violating the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP), the press service of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) reports.
Tuaeva, 26, has been temporarily suspended from competition since December 19, 2025. The Russian woman’s maximum place in the WTA ranking is 1282nd (September 2025).
“There is a possibility that a person covered by the program has committed a corruption offence,” the statement said.
Also, provisional suspensions were applied to Serbian tennis player Nicole Palecek and three officials – Marko Ristic (Serbia), Zsolt Bagosi and Tamas Tarnai (Hungary).
None of the five people exercised the right to appeal their suspension to an independent anti-corruption body.
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Ukrainian tennis player Alexandra Oleynikova He held a press conference after losing to Madison Keys in the round of 164 at the 2026 Australian Open:
– Alexandra, this was an incredible experience for you; You took to the field at Rod Laver Arena today. Can you tell us how you felt and how much you liked it?
– For me, this is the best experience of my entire career. I had never played at this level before – I did not even meet in the main draw of WTA 250 tournaments and, moreover, I never got into large arenas. Having an experience like this is something I will remember for the rest of my life.
– What were you thinking at that moment when you took a 4:0 lead in the first set?
“Actually, my mind was clearer then.” I think when the score was tied I started thinking more. But if you don’t have such experience, when there are so many people around, it is normal to hear someone shouting my name, someone shouting their opponent’s name. Of course, the atmosphere is amazing, but at moments like this, sometimes you start to think too much.
When I first entered the match I felt like everything was perfect. And then, at some point, I think not only the incredible play of my opponent, but also the fact that I outperformed myself in some places played a role. I had an advantage, but I didn’t always use it correctly. I don’t know if I could have won if I had more experience, but I’m sure I could have managed those moments better.
– Even though you lost this match, you really have a very, very unique style of play. I wonder if it’s easy for you to accept that and continue playing that way, even though a lot of people ask you, “Why do you play that way?” Even though I’m sure he said it.
– Oh yes, actually yes. Many people have told me this. From the very beginning of my professional career, I constantly heard that I would not be able to break into the top 1000, top 500, top 300, top 100 with this style of play. Everyone said it was impossible to progress with this type of tennis.
But my idea was always different: yes, to do your own “weird” things on the field, but at the same time to be the strongest possible player in this style. Being the best version of yourself in this type of tennis. And today I saw that even for one of the best tennis players in the world, this style can be very uncomfortable indeed. So yes, I will continue to work and get better at this style of play. It is possible.
– Despite the defeat, it was clear that you were truly happy, enjoying the experience, interacting with the crowd, showing your emotions. I wonder: Many players in your situation might be disappointed when you are an unseeded tennis player. Where do you get this sense of pride and joy?
– Because in my opinion, sports is not always about victory or defeat. It seems wrong to me that we put so much pressure on athletes in sports and evaluate them only based on their results. You should be able to enjoy it when you show good tennis, when your opponent is playing at a high level, when you have the respect of both sides on the court and the stands support both players.
I can’t be disappointed because for me sports is not just a score on the leaderboard. Moreover, it is this approach that motivates me. Because if I only thought about the outcome – if I didn’t think about anything else – I probably wouldn’t be at this level. For me, this whole journey, this whole experience is much more important than the final score.
– I also wanted to ask you about face tattoos. Is this a real tattoo? Is this paint? So does this make any sense?
– No, these are temporary tattoos. I remove it after the match using cleansing oil. They have no special meaning; Just an idea for fun.
I saw these face stickers and fake tattoos when I went shopping at the US Open. Then I started experimenting with them: first there were stars, then hearts, now flowers. So that’s part of my style. And maybe you noticed that they match the look and the court: blue dress, blue flowers, blue court (laughs).
– Congratulations on your performance today. Madison broke the tie at 6-4 at the end of the first set and achieved four incredible victories in a row. Do you think it’s a part where you could push it further at this point, or has it been played flawlessly?
– Yes, I have some thoughts about this. Maybe at the first set point I should have entered the rally more actively from the first serve because I think I took too much risk then. Maybe next time I’ll find a better solution. But on the other hand, when you play against Madison Keys, sometimes you have to take risks. I think everyone saw how powerful and stable his technique was. Now of course I’m trying to analyze whether it could be played differently, but I must also admit that a lot depends on it. He’s an amazing tennis player.
– Alexandra, did I understand correctly that you previously represented Croatia?
– Yes, I represented Croatia because I lived there for many years. When we moved there, I came as a political refugee, or rather, my mother and father were political refugees. And in junior tournaments there is such a system: if you do not compete in local tournaments, you do not have a national rating, and without it it is impossible to participate in international competitions. This is how this system works. Participating in tournaments is based on national rankings and therefore such a decision was made.
But I never identified myself as Croatian. Yes, I love Croatia, but it is very important for me to play for my country.
– I wanted to ask about your t-shirt – why did you decide to wear it? So what does it mean to you that your father is currently serving in Ukraine? How does it feel to go through such a period when your father is at the front?
– Yes, my father is a soldier. And for me, it’s… You know, I’m here alone now, but before, I was traveling with him a lot. My father has been my biggest support in everything since my childhood.
And I’m incredibly proud of him. Moreover, this motivates me even more. After joining the army, I moved up more than 200 places in the rankings because I know his dream was to see me on the field. I can’t fully describe these feelings, but when you find yourself in such a situation, you start to prioritize your life very clearly. And I will do anything to make him more proud of me.
When he texted me and said he was incredible… He just texted me and at that moment I realized: I made his dream come true. What could be more motivating in such a situation? I can’t imagine anything more powerful.
– Your t-shirt and the importance of communicating that message using your platform.
– Yes, I have a message. And this is very specific; We need your help. I want to talk about how people can help the Ukrainians, but if you want to ask me questions about it we will have to do it outside the official tournament press conference. This is a very important point.
I really know and can tell you how people can help protect our civilians, our children. Including protecting me personally because I was training in Ukraine. I prepared for this tournament there. During preparation, I heard explosions. There were several major attacks. On the last night I spent in Ukraine before flying here, an explosion occurred very close to my house; Shahed drone crashed into the house across the road. My apartment was literally shaken by the blast wave.
So I really know how people can help protect Ukrainians, including these drones. But we need to talk about this outside the tournament.
– You just mentioned an important message from Ukraine. Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will be held in February. Do you think it is important for Olympians to use this platform and convey messages to the press during the Olympics? So, do you know any of the Ukrainian athletes who will represent Ukraine at the Winter Games?
– To be honest, I don’t watch much sports. I don’t even watch tennis that often. So yeah, I don’t know many Winter Olympians.
But of course it’s important. Every competition is important. Every opportunity to say something about Ukraine is important. Because unfortunately the war has been going on for so long, and over time I think people have started to lose interest in it. But now we have no electricity in Ukraine. There is no light, no water, no heating in my apartment. This is the truth. And I think every opportunity to talk about this is extremely important. And the Olympics are the Olympics. What else can I add here?
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January 21, Ukraine’s first racket Elina Svitolina (WTA 12) The Australian Open will continue to be competed in 2026.
In the second round we will play against Ukrainians Linda Klimovichova (Poland, WTA 134). The fight will begin with the first launch at John Cain Arena. The approximate start time of the match is 02:00 Kyiv time.
The best moments of tennis matches LIVE on Telegram channel Tennis on Sport.ua
This will be the first head-to-head meeting between the rivals.
The winner of the match will face Talia Gibson or Diana Schneider in the second round.
Video player will be added later…
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I am a sports journalist who has worked in print and online. I have authored articles for a sports website and have covered sports news for over 6 years.
