Elina Svitolina remains unbeaten in 2026 so far, but she has yet to face an opponent of the calibre of Diana Shnaider, the 22nd seed at the Australian Open.
Elina Svitolina
The Ukrainian has won seven matches in a row and, unsurprisingly, lifted the title at the WTA 250 event in Auckland. At that level, it is difficult to come up against elite opposition. The highest-ranked player she faced was world number 35 Iva Jovic, but the 18-year-old American is still only at the start of her rise in the sport. In the second round in Melbourne, Svitolina was initially pushed hard by 21-year-old Linda Klimovicova, but the contest quickly swung her way, ending 7:5, 6:1.
Diana Shnaider
Shnaider is also 21, yet by this age she has achieved considerably more than the Czech. She has climbed as high as 11th in the world rankings and has already collected five career titles. However, at Grand Slams she has reached the fourth round just once, at the 2024 US Open. At this year’s Australian Open, the Russian has matched last season’s run by reaching the third round. Neither of her wins came easily, as both required three sets and at least 26 games.
Elina Svitolina vs Diana Shnaider Prediction
Since returning from maternity leave, Svitolina has been consistently strong at the majors. In five of her last 11 appearances, she has gone at least as far as the quarter-finals. The two players have never faced each other before. With vastly greater experience on the biggest stages, Svitolina looks well equipped to come through this test.
