The women’s singles semifinals will be played on Friday.
We are potentially just one round away from an Australian Open final rematch between Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina. However, Sabalenka must first advance beyond an impressive 21-year-old, Linda Noskova. And Rybakina is tasked with defeating a red-hot Elina Svitolina, who already upset Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals.
Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs. Linda Noskova (14) – Not Before 4:00pm on Stadium 1
Sabalenka is now 15-1 this season, after claiming a tight two-setter against Victoria Mboko on Thursday. The two sets she lost to Rybakina in the championship match of the Australian Open remain the only two sets Aryna has lost during 2026. She has reached the Indian Wells final in two of the last three years, though she is yet to win this title.
Noskova had a modest start to her season, but is coming off a strong end to her 2025, having advanced to the final of both Beijing and Tokyo. She’s taken advantage of an open part of the draw, as she has yet to face a top 30 player on the way to her second WTA 1000 semifinal. In her only other such appearance, which took place less than six months ago in Beijing, Linda outlasted Jessica Pegula in a third-set tiebreak, saving three match points along the way.
Their only prior encounter occurred three years ago in Adelaide, where Sabalenka prevailed in straights. Noskova’s attacking style is outmatched by that of Sabalenka’s, so I expect Aryna to return to the Indian Wells championship match.
Elena Rybakina (3) vs. Elina Svitolina (9) – Not Before 6:00pm on Stadium 1
Rybakina’s straight-set victory over Pegula on Thursday brought Elena’s 2026 record to 16-3. She won this title back in 2023, but it’s now been nearly a full two years since Rybakina has appeared in a WTA 1000 final. The World No.3 has lost her last four semifinals at this level, which includes a few heartbreaking losses in third-set tiebreaks: to Mboko last summer in Canada, and to Sabalenka two years ago in Madrid.
Between 2017 and 2018, Svitolina won four WTA 1000 titles. But she then went nearly six years before even reaching another 1000 final, until last month in Dubai, where she lost to Pegula in the final. After cutting her 2025 short following the US Open, Elina has returned to the tour refreshed and reenergized, with a superb record of 19-3 on the year. She has now reached the semifinals or better in four of the five 2026 tournaments she has played, and as per Tennis Abstract, she is 4-2 this season against top 10 opposition.
These players have split their six previous meetings, with their only hard court matchup going to Svitolina. And that was an extremely notable occasion: the bronze medal match at the Tokyo Olympics. On that day, Svitolina came from a set down, as well as from a break down in the third, to deny Rybakina a medal. Despite that result, and despite both players being in strong form, Rybakina’s considerable power advantage should enable her to dictate play and advance to Sunday’s final.
Friday’s full Order of Play is here.
