Svitolina defeats Romania’s No. 1 to reach second round at Australian Open

This was Svitolina’s first match of the season, and she now moves on to face Caroline Dolehide (USA, WTA 83) in the second round.

Australian Open 2025 – Round of 128

Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) def. Sorana Cirstea (Romania) – 6-4, 6-4
Match duration: 1 hour 34 minutes
Key stats: Svitolina dropped only one service game, hit two aces, and committed four double faults.

Ukrainians at the Australian Open

Ukraine is well-represented at the tournament, with Marta Kostyuk, Dayana Yastremska, Anhelina Kalinina, and Daria Snihur also competing.

Kostyuk and Snihur are set to play their first-round matches on Jan. 13. Yuliia Starodubtseva fell to Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in her first-round match.

Svitolina’s husband and French ATP star, Gaël Monfils, won the ATP 250 title in Auckland, New Zealand. At 38 years and 4 months old, Monfils became the oldest champion of an ATP tournament since the tour’s official formation in 1990, breaking Roger Federer’s record (who won Basel at 38 years and 2 months in 2019).