Queens, NY—Aryna Sabalenka’s quest for history remains very much alive after the world No. 1 survived a thrilling three-set battle with Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova at the U.S. Open.
Sabalenka overcame a third-set deficit and held her nerve in a dramatic tiebreak to defeat Noskova 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-6 (7), punching her ticket to the U.S. Open semifinals for the sixth consecutive year.
The victory also marked the 15th Grand Slam semifinal appearance of Sabalenka’s career and extended her winning streak at Flushing Meadows to 18 matches.
With two more victories, Sabalenka would become the first woman since Serena Williams from 2012 through 2014 to capture three consecutive U.S. Open championships.
For much of the deciding set, however, that historic opportunity appeared to be slipping away.
Noskova grabbed a 4-2 lead and repeatedly put Sabalenka under pressure with an aggressive serving performance. But the top seed refused to panic, resetting her focus and fighting her way back into the contest.
“I’m just super happy that I put myself in the position where I have a chance to go for the three-peat, even though I’m still far away from that,” Sabalenka said. “What I learned from Australia is it’s really important to shut down all the noise.”
That ability to block out the significance of the moment became crucial.
Noskova delivered an impressive 46 winners, including 18 aces, and saved seven of the nine break points she faced. Sabalenka countered with 42 winners and 12 aces of her own as neither player was willing to surrender control.
The match ultimately came down to the smallest of margins.
After splitting the first two sets, both players fought through a tense third set before Sabalenka forced the deciding tiebreak. Noskova had already established herself as a formidable opponent in tiebreak situations, but Sabalenka finally broke through, improving to 2-1 in third-set tiebreaks this season while ending Noskova’s six-match winning streak in such situations.
Sabalenka eventually earned match point and closed out the contest with an unexpected weapon: a second-serve ace struck out wide.
Even Sabalenka admitted afterward that the final point involved a little fortune.
“I feel like I got lucky,” she said. “I think she expected a kick to her backhand and didn’t read the serve.”
The victory was Sabalenka’s first against a Top 10 opponent since defeating Coco Gauff in the Miami final in March. It was also her sixth Top 10 victory of the 2026 season.
More importantly, the win represented a breakthrough in three-set Grand Slam matches this year. Sabalenka had previously fallen to Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final and Diana Shnaider in the Roland Garros quarterfinals.
This time, she found a way to finish.
Sabalenka acknowledged that Noskova appeared to have the upper hand during portions of the third set, particularly with her serve.
“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 literally just trying to build something bigger in that moment.”
That mentality carried Sabalenka through the final stages of one of the most demanding matches of her tournament.
Now, the defending champion is two victories away from making U.S. Open history.
But after the battle she just survived, Sabalenka knows there is little room for distraction.
The three-peat remains within reach—but the hard part is far from over.
