Aryna Sabalenka is still in position to defend her US Open crown after surviving a stern test from Linda Noskova and winning 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 in the quarter-finals.
The top seed recovered from a 2-4 deficit in the final set, then held firm in a deciding tiebreak to reach the semi-finals and keep her No 1 ranking hopes alive. Sabalenka called it a battle and said she was “pushing myself to the limit” as Noskova forced her deep into the match.
A match that kept swinging
Sabalenka took the opening set in a one-sided tiebreak, but Noskova responded well in the second and kept the pressure on through a tense third set. Sabalenka led 2-2, then found herself down 0-40 and later trailing 2-4 before digging in and finding a way through.
Afterward, Sabalenka said she honestly thought the match was over at one stage. She also praised Noskova as an “incredible player” and said she was “super happy” to get the win.
The numbers help explain just how demanding the contest was. Sabalenka fired 18 aces and won 46% of her unreturned serves, but the match still came down to a few points in the final tiebreak. That is the sort of test she will have to keep handling if she wants a third consecutive US Open title.
What it means next
The victory keeps Sabalenka’s title defense alive and leaves the No 1 ranking unresolved heading into the next round. Before the quarter-finals, she was already the defending champion and top seed with that ranking battle still on the line.
Sabalenka will next face the winner of Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro. On the other side of the draw, Elena Rybakina is scheduled to play Zheng Qinwen in a quarter-final on Wednesday, with the final stages of the women’s tournament shaping up to feature many of the biggest names still standing. Each of the top six seeds reached the US Open last eight, and five of those six are grand slam champions.
That makes Sabalenka’s path both straightforward and demanding: one more win would move her closer to another trophy, but every match now carries extra weight as she tries to salvage a season that has reportedly unravelled under pressure over the past five months.
