The American smashed her racket to pieces in the depths of Rod Laver Arena after Tuesday's quarterfinal. The world number three was defeated by Svitolina, who won in straight sets, 6–1, 6–2.
For the first time, the Ukrainian has reached the semifinals of the Melbourne Grand Slam tournament.
"Not bad. I'm very happy so far," says Elina Svitolina.
The 31-year-old gave birth to a daughter at the end of 2022. Tuesday's victory means that for the first time since then, she is ranked in the top 10 in the world.
"That's been my goal since I went on maternity leave. This means everything to me," says Svitolina.
Svitolina will face world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals.
