Queens, NY—-Defending champions Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz continued their pursuit of another U.S. Open title Sunday, advancing to the quarterfinals in convincing fashion at Flushing Meadows.
Sabalenka, the world No. 1, overcame an early challenge from Taylor Townsend before pulling away for a 6-4, 6-3 victory. Later at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Alcaraz followed with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win over Tommy Paul to reach the final eight without dropping a set.
For both reigning champions, the fourth round presented some resistance but ultimately ended with comfortable straight-set victories.
Sabalenka appeared vulnerable early against Townsend, who broke the top seed three times across her first four service games. Townsend’s aggressive approach put Sabalenka under pressure and briefly gave the American hope of producing a major upset.
But Sabalenka quickly settled into the match.
Once she regained control of her serve and found her rhythm from the baseline, the momentum shifted decisively. Townsend led 3-1 in the second set, but Sabalenka responded by winning the next five games to close out the match.
“I love matches like that because it was really challenging,” Sabalenka said. “Going through tough challenges and overcoming those challenges, it definitely gives you strength and really strong belief that you can do it.”
The match marked the first career meeting between Sabalenka and Townsend. While Townsend was unable to maintain the level she showed early, she left the court believing she had demonstrated that she belonged on the biggest stage.
“This was the most comfortable and confident I’ve ever been playing against a No. 1 player in the world,” Townsend said. “From the beginning, I felt like I belonged. From the beginning, I felt like I was right where I needed to be. I still feel that way.”
Sabalenka will next face Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, who survived a grueling three-set battle with Marta Kostyuk, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4.
Noskova’s aggressive game and powerful serve will present a different challenge for Sabalenka, who knows she will need to be prepared for another physical contest.
“I played a couple of matches against her in the past, which also wasn’t the easiest matches,” Sabalenka said. “Really aggressive style of the game. Serving really well, playing super fast. You’ve got to stay really low to be able to handle that power and energy.”
Alcaraz faced his own test against Paul but maintained control throughout most of the match. The Spaniard used his combination of power, movement and shot-making to keep Paul from establishing a sustained rhythm and closed out the match in three sets.
Paul had opportunities to make things more difficult, but Alcaraz repeatedly answered when pressure mounted.
“I’m happy with that performance,” Alcaraz said. “I played my game. I tried to play my style. Tommy’s such a talented player. His shots are pretty dangerous and it’s sometimes pretty difficult to control the ball when it comes to you, so I just tried to be ready.”
With both defending champions now through to the quarterfinals, the second week of the U.S. Open is beginning to take shape.
Sabalenka is attempting to defend her women’s title and add another major championship to her résumé, while Alcaraz continues his bid to repeat on the men’s side.
Neither has been seriously threatened through the opening rounds, but the competition will only intensify from here.
The margin for error is about to get much smaller.
