Sabalenka fights back to keep US Open defence alive

Aryna Sabalenka thought her US Open title defence had slipped away. Then she recovered from 4-2 down in the third set and 2-0 behind in the deciding tie-break to beat Linda Noskova and reach the semifinals.

The Belarusian top seed won 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 7-6 (10-7) in just under two and a half hours. The victory extended her winning run at Flushing Meadows to 19 matches, dating back to the 2023 final, and made her the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to reach six consecutive US Open semifinals.

Sabalenka also temporarily held on to the world number one ranking. She will lose the top spot regardless of her remaining results if world number two Elena Rybakina beats Zheng Qinwen on Wednesday.

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I'm speechless right now. I was pushing to the limit in this match, especially in the third set.

The match exposed the volatility that has marked Sabalenka's performances. She began in control, breaking Noskova in the opening game and leading 5-2, but dropped serve while trying to close out the first set. She dominated the tie-break, then wasted three break points early in the second before Noskova broke her with a double fault.

After another double fault helped Noskova move 4-2 ahead in the deciding set, Sabalenka won the next three games. She then claimed her 10th straight US Open tie-break, sealing the comeback with a second-serve ace. “I'm speechless right now. I was pushing to the limit in this match, especially in the third set,” Sabalenka said. “I honestly thought that that's it, the match is over, but probably that's what helped me to feel loose and go after my shots. [I'm] super happy to get the win.”

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I honestly thought that that's it, the match is over, but probably that's what helped me to feel loose and go after my shots. [I'm] super happy to get the win.