Sabalenka powers into US Open 3rd round in 53 minutes, September 3
No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka defeated Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1 in 53 minutes Wednesday night at the US Open, advancing to the third round with a dominant serve and early-set dominance. Sabalenka has dropped only eight games through two matches and improves to 16-0 against qualifiers.
No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the third round of the US Open on Wednesday night, defeating qualifier Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1 in 53 minutes. The dominant performance, according to ESPN's reporting, sent Sabalenka through with minimal resistance as she won 15 of 16 first-serve points in the opening set and finished 21 for 28 on first serve overall.
Sabalenka arrived at Flushing Meadows carrying recent struggles: she lost in the fourth round of her past three tournaments and risks losing the No. 1 ranking. The early-round dominance against Iatcenko, competing in her first Grand Slam tournament, marks a sharp contrast to that run.
Through two matches, Sabalenka has dropped only eight games. Per ESPN's reporting, this total ranks as her fourth-fewest games lost en route to the third round of a major in her career. The No. 1 seed is undefeated against qualifiers at 16-0, never dropping a set in any of those matches, according to ESPN's data.
Sabalenka said after the match, as reported by ESPN: "Happy with the level I played today, happy with the focus and happy to be through this match." On her mid-season form, she added: "I think I struggled a little bit in the middle of the season. Once again, I'm not going to defend myself or explain why, what happened, but I'm happy with my level." She continued: "I can definitely say that mentally I'm way stronger than I was in the middle of the season, and physically I also feel stronger. So I feel like I'm on my level of play."
Sabalenka is chasing a three-peat at the US Open. Becoming the first player since Serena Williams, who won from 2012-14, would require her to navigate an eight-match draw. Her next opponent is Kamilla Rakhimova, against whom Sabalenka holds a 3-0 record. Per ESPN, Sabalenka defeated Rakhimova 6-1, 6-0 at the French Open in 2025.
Retaining the No. 1 ranking remains conditional: ESPN reports that Sabalenka will need help from other results even if she wins the title.
Sabalenka defeated Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1 in 53 minutes on Wednesday night, winning 15 of 16 first-serve points in the opening set.
Sabalenka faces Rakhimova in the third round after three consecutive head-to-head victories. The trajectory of her serve efficiency and game-loss rate through the fourth round will signal whether her current form represents sustainable return or early-draw advantage against lower-ranked opposition.
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Single-source report. As published, only ESPN had reported this development. No independent outlet had corroborated it.
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