Elina Svitolina entered Thursday’s quarterfinal match with little success in her previous meetings against Iga Swiatek, but she flipped the script in a big way, earning a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win in 2 hours and 9 minutes to reach her second Indian Wells semifinal and first since 2019.
Indian Wells: Scores | Draws | Order of play
With the victory, Svitolina earned just her second win over the current World No. 2 in six meetings at the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz level, having last defeated her at Wimbledon in 2023. Since 2016, when she upset Serena Williams at the Rio Olympics, only Elena Rybakina (14) has earned more wins over Top 2 players than Svitolina (11). The result also marks her tour-leading 19th win of 2026.
“There is no champion who is waiting for mistakes,” Svitolina said of her mindset in her post-match press conference. “And you really have to try to set yourself up in a good position to attack. I was feeling good and I was trying to really, you know, open up the court and try to take advantage, because Iga is such an aggressive player, and she moves really well. So if you don’t take the opportunity at the right time, she’s going to take it.”
Svitolina sealed the victory with a late surge, breaking Swiatek in the penultimate game of the third set before holding at love to close out the match. But it was her blistering start on a day when temperatures reached upwards of 90 degrees Fahrenheit that grabbed the attention of both the crowd and, likely, Swiatek.
Set 1: Svitolina struck first, breaking immediately as Swiatek double-faulted twice and pushed a forehand wide in the opening game. She extended her lead to 3-0 and then 5-1 as Swiatek continued to struggle with her second serve. The Pole won just one of eight second-serve points, allowing Svitolina to generate eight break points in the opening frame.
Though she was broken once, Svitolina broke three times and closed out the first set in just under 40 minutes.
Set 2: Swiatek quickly reasserted herself, however, breaking for a 3-1 lead and consolidating with a hold at love for 4-1 as the match hurtled towards a decider. But Svitolina said not so fast. She held serve to stay within reach and broke back for 4-3, sealing that game with a nifty get at the net that she put away for a winner. Remember that for later.
After Swiatek held for 5-4, a run of Svitolina errors handed the second set to the World No. 2.
Set 3: And so, for the first time since their 2023 Wimbledon meeting, the pair headed to a decider. And after the break-fest that was the first two sets, it was only fitting that the third began with eight straight holds. Both players faced pressure — Svitolina held from deuce in the opening game, and Swiatek answered after falling behind 0-30 — but neither blinked.
The breakthrough finally came in the ninth game, when a slight dip from Swiatek under Svitolina’s sustained pressure left the door ajar. Swiatek saved one break point, but a backhand error on the next handed Svitolina the crucial break. The Ukrainian then held at love — cold as ice — finishing with another clean put-away at the net to send the World No. 2 packing and book her semifinal spot.
With the win, Svitolina remains undefeated in three-setters this season at 6-0. Only Victoria Mboko and Magda Linette (seven) have more three-set wins in 2026.
In the semifinals, she’ll face Rybakina, who ended Jessica Pegula’s run of seven straight semifinals with a 6-1, 7-6 (4) victory Thursday night. Svitolina is 3-3 against Rybakina and won their most recent meeting, in Madrid last season, in straight sets. This will be just their second hard-court meeting with the first coming five years ago at the Tokyo Olympics, a match also won by Svitolina.
