NEW YORK — Aryna Sabalenka’s bid for a third consecutive US Open title nearly ended in the quarterfinals, but the world No. 1 found her composure just in time to survive Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova in one of the tournament’s closest matches.
Sabalenka recovered from 2-4 down in the deciding set before defeating the sixth-seeded Czech 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6, winning the final match tiebreak 10-7 at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday.
Only four points separated the two players across the entire contest. Sabalenka finished with 104 points to Noskova’s 100, a margin that showed how little separated victory from elimination.
Winner: Aryna Sabalenka
Score: 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(10-7)
Round: US Open women’s quarterfinal
Venue: Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York
Key comeback: Sabalenka trailed 2-4 in the third set
Next: Sabalenka advances to the semifinals
How Sabalenka escaped from 2-4 down
The opening set offered an early indication that Sabalenka would not have an easy afternoon. Noskova matched the defending champion’s pace from the baseline and repeatedly protected her service games with one of the most effective serves in the women’s draw.
Neither player could create lasting separation, sending the set into a tiebreak. That was where Sabalenka suddenly took control, racing through it 7-1 to claim the first set.
Noskova’s response was immediate and convincing. The reigning Wimbledon champion raised her level in the second set, broke Sabalenka’s serve and prevented the top seed from dictating points as freely as she had during the opening tiebreak.
Noskova won the set 6-3, becoming the first player to take a set from Sabalenka during the 2026 US Open.
The biggest danger arrived for Sabalenka in the deciding set. Noskova secured an early break and moved 4-2 ahead, placing herself only two games from ending the champion’s long New York winning streak.
Sabalenka’s frustration was visible, but she avoided the emotional collapse that has sometimes hurt her during close Grand Slam matches. Instead of trying to end rallies too quickly, she became more deliberate between points and concentrated on putting Noskova’s serve back into play.
The change helped Sabalenka recover the break and level the set. Both players then held firm through the closing games, forcing a deciding 10-point tiebreak at 6-6.
With the match reduced to a handful of points, Sabalenka produced the more controlled tennis. She absorbed Noskova’s power, protected her own serve and eventually completed the comeback 10-7 in the tiebreak.
The numbers underline how difficult the assignment was. Noskova struck 17 aces compared with Sabalenka’s 10, while Sabalenka converted only two of nine break-point opportunities. Official statistics published on the WTA match page showed Sabalenka claiming 51% of the total points.
Why Sabalenka’s emotional control became the story
The most important passage may not have been a spectacular winner. It was Sabalenka’s reaction after falling behind in the final set.
Rather than allowing missed opportunities to build into further mistakes, she stayed close enough to make Noskova serve under pressure. That composure was particularly significant around the 3-4 stage, when another loose service game could have placed the match beyond her reach.
Fans watching the match noticed the same shift. One viewer, posting as @ambitiousghuy on X, wrote: “Good game to Sablenka, she was able to keep her emotions in check at 3-4, if not she would have easily lost this one.”
The reaction captured the defining difference between the two players. Noskova frequently appeared to be the stronger player and finished with seven more aces, but Sabalenka controlled the moments carrying the greatest pressure.
Another reaction highlighted the scale of the escape, noting that the world No. 1 had come back from 2-4 in the third set to survive the reigning Wimbledon champion.
Noskova still leaves New York after confirming that her Wimbledon triumph was not an isolated breakthrough. She entered the quarterfinal riding an 11-match Grand Slam winning streak and came within a few points of defeating the two-time defending US Open champion.
For Sabalenka, the victory extends her winning run at Flushing Meadows to 19 matches. It also sends her into a sixth consecutive US Open semifinal, continuing a remarkable run of consistency in New York.
Sabalenka has now reached the final four at every US Open since 2021. Her latest appearance, however, required considerably more resistance than the scorelines from her earlier rounds suggested.
The result keeps both her three-peat attempt and her battle to retain the world No. 1 ranking alive. Elena Rybakina remains a threat in the rankings race, meaning Sabalenka cannot afford a drop in level during the final stages of the tournament.
Sabalenka’s semifinal opponent will be determined by the other quarterfinal in her section of the draw. Whoever comes next will have seen both sides of the defending champion: the vulnerability that allowed Noskova to lead in the final set and the composure that ultimately kept Sabalenka in the tournament.
The dramatic quarterfinal was part of a busy week in North American sport. Swikblog has also reported on the power outage that delayed the FSU vs SMU game and the questions surrounding the Texas game heat scare.
Other major sports stories include the planned new arena for the Philadelphia 76ers and Flyers and the fan debate following Fraser Minten’s reported $50.4 million Bruins contract.
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