Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka overcame early service struggles to defeat Taylor Townsend and advance to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open. Despite Townsend breaking Sabalenka’s serve three times in the initial four service games, Sabalenka managed to recover and secure a 6-4, 6-3 victory. Sabalenka expressed her satisfaction with her performance, emphasizing her focus on playing point by point and ball by ball.
This match marked the first encounter between Sabalenka and Townsend, with the former eventually finding her momentum while the latter struggled to maintain consistency. Sabalenka is now set to face either Linda Noskova or Marta Kostyuk in the next round for a chance to reach the semifinals. The Belarusian player praised Townsend’s skills, particularly her net play and returns, acknowledging the challenge posed by her opponent.
In another match, men’s second seed Carlos Alcaraz, returning after a wrist injury hiatus, aims to continue his title defense campaign by taking on Tommy Paul at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Alcaraz, riding a 17-match winning streak in Grand Slam events, has only dropped one set so far in the U.S. Open and boasts a perfect record of 12-0 against American male players in majors.
The U.S. contingent at the tournament has been notably successful, with 10 Americans making it to the round of 16 in both the men’s and women’s draws. This achievement marks the highest number of American players in the fourth round at a Grand Slam since the 2002 U.S. Open. Among the American players, Learner Tien, at 20 years old, secured a hard-fought five-set victory over Jakub Mensik, becoming the youngest American man to reach the U.S. Open fourth round since Andy Roddick in 2002.
Other exciting matches at the U.S. Open on Sunday include No. 8 seed Ben Shelton taking on Stefanos Tsitsipas, Emma Navarro facing Anna Kalinskaya, Jessica Pegula playing against Sorana Cirstea, Frances Tiafoe meeting Daniil Medvedev, and the clash between Noskova and Kostyuk. The American presence in the tournament has been strong, with several players making impressive runs in their respective matches.
