In brief: Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina defeated Czech opponent Linda Nosková in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1, in just over an hour on Nov. 14 to reach the WTA Finals championship match against Russian player Mirra Andreeva, who beat Jessica Pegula. Svitolina reached the semifinals after defeating Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in the group stage, snapping a five-match losing streak against the Belarusian.
Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina defeated Czech player Linda Nosková in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1, on Saturday, Nov. 14, advancing to the championship final of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals, where she will face Russian player Mirra Andreeva.
Svitolina needed just one hour and four minutes to dispatch Nosková in the semifinal clash, dominating on return and capitalizing on her opponent’s serving struggles.
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
During the match, Svitolina fired four aces, committed only two double faults, and converted five of 11 break-point opportunities. Nosková recorded two aces, committed 11 double faults, and managed to convert just one of her four break-point chances.
In the championship final, Svitolina will meet Andreeva, who advanced after defeating American Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-4 in the other semifinal.
Svitolina’s group stage qualification
Svitolina secured her berth in the semifinals by defeating Belarusian world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in a three-set thriller – 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 – in her final group-stage match.
In that encounter, which lasted one hour and 55 minutes, Svitolina rallied from an early 0-2 deficit to claim the opening set 6-3. After falling behind 1-5 in the second set, the Ukrainian narrowed the gap before Sabalenka held on to level the match at 6-3.
In the decisive third set, Svitolina dropped her opening service game before surging to win five consecutive games, sealing the set 6-1. Svitolina hit six aces and nine double faults against Sabalenka, who recorded a single ace.
The victory snapped a five-match losing streak against Sabalenka, marking Svitolina’s first win over the Belarusian since 2020 in Strasbourg.
Svitolina’s history at the WTA Finals
The appearance marks the third time in Svitolina’s career that she has reached the final of the prestigious season-ending WTA championship.
Svitolina previously captured the WTA Finals title in 2018 – becoming the first Ukrainian player to win the tournament – and finished as runner-up in 2019.
Her run to the 2026 final highlights her sustained resurgence at the top level of women’s tennis following her return to the tour after maternity leave and injury recovery.
Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.