Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina claimed a hard-fought victory in the second round of the 2026 US Open, defeating Australia's Maya Joint 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4. The match lasted 2 hours and 8 minutes and turned into a real test of nerves: after a confident start, Elina dropped the second set, and in the deciding set she came back from being two breaks down, but ultimately closed out the game on her own serve.
Match progression: from a 4-0 surge to a nerve-wracking finish
Svitolina took the first set easily, leading 4-0 from the very start and never relinquishing the initiative. However, in the second set the Ukrainian lost, conceding three points in a row and ultimately losing the tie-break 6-8. In the third set, Elina also gave up a two-break lead, but managed to steady her game and finish the match on her own serve, outperforming her opponent in most of the key statistics.
Key numbers from the match
According to the statistics, Svitolina hit 4 aces, committed 2 double faults, and converted 8 break points. Maya Joint's tally stands at 3 aces and 5 breaks converted, but also 6 double faults. It was precisely the difference in converting key moments and the number of double faults in the crucial minutes that decided the outcome of the two-hour battle.
What's next in the draw and context of her performances
For a place in the next round, Svitolina will face Anna Kalinska, who is competing under a "neutral" status. Elina's best result on the New York courts remains the 2019 semi-final, while last season she managed only the first round. In total, this is the Ukrainian's 13th appearance in the main draw of the American major and the ninth time she has reached the third round.
Contradictory data
The provided materials contain an inconsistency in defining the stage of the tournament. The original text calls the match the "second round" and states that Svitolina will play Kalinska for a place in the round of 16, while also noting that she has "reached the third round for the ninth time." Meanwhile, a number of sources (including sport.nv.ua, tsn.ua, sportnaviny.com) phrase the result as reaching the "third round," while sport.rbc.ua describes it as reaching the "round of 32." These formulations are not identical: reaching the third round (the round of 32) corresponds to the round of 32, not the round of 16. Thus, the exact round number and the designation of the next stage differ across sources, and the editorial team presents both versions without making a definitive choice.
Other Ukrainians at the tournament
It was previously reported that Marta Kostyuk also advanced to the round of 32 at the US Open, knocking out a former champion of the tournament. Thus, both leading Ukrainian tennis players continue their campaign at the American major, while Svitolina adds another New York victory to her collection on the road to replicating her best result — the 2019 semi-final.
