NEW YORK (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka thought it was all slipping away. Her U.S. Open title reign and her lengthy hold on the No. 1 ranking in women's tennis were just about gone.
Then Sabalenka proved she's not giving any of it up without a fight.
Sabalenka kept alive her hopes for a third straight U.S. Open title by edging Linda Noskova 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-6 (10-7) on Tuesday in a thrilling quarterfinal matchup of major champions.
“What a battle. What an incredible player she is and I’m speechless right now because I was pushing myself to the limit in this match, especially in the third set,” Sabalenka said. “I honestly thought that that’s it, the match is over and probably that’s what helped me to kind of like, I don’t know, feel loose and just go after my shots.”
Sabalenka — who needed to win to maintain any hope of keeping the No. 1 ranking — will face No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula, who rallied to beat No. 26 Emma Navarro 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Sabalenka beat Pegula in the 2024 final and against last year in the semifinals after dropping the first set.
“To me, I think it’s fun to look at the rivalry we’ve had,” Pegula said. “She’s gotten me here the last couple of years. I have been able to beat her a few times, maybe on a smaller stage, so I think that’s going to be kind of a hurdle for me to get over.”
Sabalenka finished off Tuesday’s match with a second-serve ace to turn back the Wimbledon champion and reach the semifinals in Flushing Meadows for the sixth straight year.
Long matches lead to another late night in New York
The first men's quarterfinal also went to a match tiebreaker, with No. 11 Frances Tiafoe rallying to beat Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10-6). He will face No. 8 Ben Shelton, who ended Carlos Alcaraz's title reign in the latest-finishing match in U.S. Open history.
Shelton won 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) in a match that started just after 11 p.m. and ended at 3:33 a.m. Wednesday.
The lengthy day session gave Pegula and Navarro a late start, nearly 90 minutes after the usual 7 p.m. beginning of the night session. Navarro was much better once it finally did begin, breaking Pegula's serve twice in the opening set.
Pegula found her best tennis late, winning four straight games to take control after Navarro had broken her for a 2-1 lead in the third set.
Noskova nearly pulled off a major double not done since Serena
Noskova, the No. 6 seed, won her first major title at the All England Club and narrowly missed becoming the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to follow a title on the grass by reaching the final four on the hard courts of New York.
Sabalenka was in danger of her earliest exit at the U.S. Open since going out in the second round in 2020 when Noskova got a break in the third set en route to a 4-2 lead. Sabalenka held and then played one of her best games of the match, breaking at love to tie it at 4-all.
“I just felt at some point in the third set she was definitely serving better than me and putting so much pressure on me,” Sabalenka said. "But I’m glad that I kind of threw that thought away and I was able to focus point by point and, like, literally just trying to build something bigger in that moment.
“I got, not lucky, but I’m happy the way I broke her serve at 3-4. I think I really played a great intensity level of tennis, and that really gave me so much confidence that I still can get the win in this match.”
She did, avoiding her first loss at the U.S. Open since Coco Gauff beat her in the 2023 final.
Noskova finished with 46 winners to Sabalenka's 42, and she hit 18 aces to Sabalenka's 12. Both players were able to end points quickly, and Sabalenka also showed off some impressive speed in tracking down drop shots.
Sabalenka came to the U.S. Open far off her usual form on hard courts, losing in the fourth round in both Toronto and Cincinnati after falling at that stage at Wimbledon. But she had recovered in New York, not dropping a set en route to the quarterfinals.
She appeared struggling to stay under control at one point, changing her racket during the third set while trying to regain her touch. She went behind 2-0 in the match tiebreaker but pulled ahead for good when Noskova double-faulted to make it 4-3, and Sabalenka took the next two points for some critical breathing room.
“Being a break up in the third set, it’s not very easy. Also having a little break at the start of the tiebreak in the third one, as well, it’s frustrating, obviously,” Noskova said.
"But at the same time, Aryna, she played the best tennis that she could in those moments, which didn’t really make it easy for me.”
Sabalenka will lose the No. 1 ranking she has held for 99 consecutive weeks if No. 2 Elena Rybakina beats Zheng Qinwen on Wednesday to reach the semifinals. If Rybakina loses, Sabalenka can keep her hold on it by winning the title.
Noskova finished with her best run at the U.S. Open. She had reached only one major quarterfinal, at the 2024 Australian Open, before beating fellow Czech Karolina Muchova for the Wimbledon title.
