A meeting with Sabalenka pits Svitolina against a third successive opponent who she will not shake hands with at Roland Garros – her first Slam since Russia invaded her country in February 2022.
In the absence of a handshake with Russian player Daria Kasatkina in the fourth round, the pair exchanged a thumbs-up at the end of the match, with Svitolina acknowledging the 26-year-old because she has been “brave” to criticise her nation’s actions.
The Ukrainian said “everything will be the same” when she meets Australian Open champion Sabalenka, after that straight-set win extended her stay in her first major since becoming a mother in October.
Since returning to action in April, Svitolina has established an eight-match winning streak, claiming the Strasbourg title in May and donating her prize money from that event to Ukrainian children.
Sabalenka, meanwhile, again opted out of attending an open news conference after overcoming Sloane Stephens, having said she did not “feel safe” during her post-match duties last Wednesday.
Through to the last eight at Roland Garros for the first time as she aims for consecutive Slam successes, the Belarusian is yet to lose a set following her win in the tournament’s first women’s night session match on Sunday.
“Svitolina is playing really great tennis here in Paris, moving well,” Sabalenka said. “Another player [that’s] going to run a lot and put a lot of balls back, and I just have to be patient and wait for that perfect shot to finish the point.”
Either 2021 runner-up Pavlyuchenkova or Muchova will await in the last four.
Russian Pavlyuchenkova, who lost to Barbora Krejcikova in the Roland Garros final two years ago, has dropped outside the world’s top 300 after a knee injury sidelined her for five months last year.
Muchova, an Australian Open semi-finalist in 2021 and two-time Wimbledon quarter-finalist, has progressed beyond the third round on the Paris clay for the first time.
