Aryna Sabalenka is still defending her US Open crown. On Tuesday, September 8, the two-time defending champion beat reigning Wimbledon winner Linda Noskova 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(7) in their quarterfinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The win required a comeback from 4-2 down in the third set. Sabalenka recovered the break, took the contest into a deciding super-tiebreak and finished with a second-serve ace. The match lasted 2 hours and 22 minutes and sent her into a sixth consecutive New York semifinal, according to the WTA.
The result also extended Sabalenka's winning streak at the tournament to 18 matches. She next faces Jessica Pegula or Emma Navarro.
The scale of the test becomes clear alongside her earlier rounds: Sabalenka had conceded only 22 games across her first four matches, the lowest total in either singles draw, according to the US Open. Against Noskova, she lost 21 games in a single match.
For Noskova, the defeat ends her Grand Slam campaign in a season that brought titles at Wimbledon and Berlin and a rise to No. 6 in the rankings. In her press conference, reported by the WTA, the Czech identified a first WTA Finals appearance as an ambition for the rest of the year.
The official US Open videos feature match highlights and Noskova's press conference following the quarterfinal.
Sources: WTA's Sabalenka–Noskova match report and Noskova's post-match interview coverage, September 8, 2026; USOpen.org's quarterfinal record and fourth-round statistical review.