Aryna Sabalenka clawed her way back from the brink to defeat Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(10-7) in a gripping US Open quarterfinal on Tuesday at Arthur Ashe Stadium, preserving her bid for a historic third consecutive title.
The world No. 1 looked certain to surrender her crown when she slumped to a 2-4 deficit in the deciding set after a second double fault gifted Noskova a 0-40 break opportunity. Sabalenka dropped to her knees, bowed her head and screamed — a moment that encapsulated five months of frustration in which the Belarusian had been unravelling under pressure at every turn. But with her US Open title and No. 1 ranking on the line, she summoned the resolve that had eluded her for most of the season.
Sabalenka broke back to level at 4-4 and held her nerve through a tense tiebreak, sealed with a nerveless second-serve ace. The match lasted two hours and 22 minutes and marked Sabalenka's 19th consecutive win at Flushing Meadows — a streak stretching back to the 2023 final. She becomes the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to reach six successive US Open semifinals.
"For a moment I thought it was over," Sabalenka admitted after the match. "But I told myself this is my last chance. I had to find something extra."
The opening set was tight from the start, with both players struggling to find rhythm on a windy evening. Sabalenka took it in a tiebreak 7-1 after breaking clear with a sequence of untouchable serves. But Noskova, the 21-year-old Czech who claimed her maiden Grand Slam at Wimbledon this summer, refused to fold.
The second set saw Noskova unleash her full repertoire — blistering backhand passes, inventive drop shots and a return-and-net-rush combination that left Sabalenka flat-footed. A double fault from the top seed at 4-5 handed Noskova the set 6-3, the first set Sabalenka had dropped at this year's tournament.
Noskova's fightback continued in the decider. After Sabalenka held to open, the sixth seed reeled off four straight games to take a commanding 4-2 lead. The tiebreak initially seemed to confirm the upset, with Noskova racing to a 2-0 advantage. But unforced errors and a timely double fault cost her dearly, and Sabalenka's serve — which had abandoned her at the worst moments — suddenly became untouchable. Four of her final five deliveries went unreturned.
For Noskova, the statistics told a story of what might have been. She hit more winners, fewer unforced errors, and saved seven of nine break points. The defeat ended her 11-match Grand Slam winning streak and denied her a second consecutive major semifinal.
Sabalenka now faces either third seed Jessica Pegula or 26th-seeded Emma Navarro in Thursday's semifinal. Two wins stand between her and a feat no woman has achieved since Serena Williams' three-peat from 2014 to 2016.
Sources
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/articles/c3v43p9r2qdo
- https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/sep/08/aryna-sabalenka-linda-noskova-us-open-tennis-quarter-finals
