Sabalenka on course for hat-trick, equaling Serena’s record

Ayna Sabalenka continued her impressive run at the US Open, defeating American Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-3 to claim her 18th straight win. The two-time defending champion also advanced to the US Open quarter-finals for the sixth consecutive time.

The match looked easy from the scoreline, but in reality it was a tough fight. Both players saw 10 service breaks between them in the 75-minute match. Sabalenka was trailing 3-1 at one point in the second set. From there, she made a brilliant comeback to win five straight games to take the match.

The victory brought Sabalenka's streak of US Open victories to 18. The 28-year-old has been undefeated at the New York Grand Slam for the past three years after winning back-to-back titles in 2024 and 2025.

With this, Sabalenka also achieved another special feat. She became the first female player since Serena Williams in 2016 to reach the singles quarterfinals at the US Open in six consecutive years.

Serena Williams is the last woman to win three consecutive US Open titles. Sabalenka needs just three more wins to equal that record. That means if she can win this time, she will become the first woman to win three consecutive US Open titles, just like Serena.

Sabalenka will face Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova in the last eight. Noskova, the sixth seed from the Czech Republic, defeated Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 in the last 16, but had to save six match points to reach the quarter-finals.

Sabalenka's consistency on the hard courts of the US Open is quite old. He has not had to retire before the semifinals of this tournament since 2020. As a result, the Belarusian star remains one of the main contenders for the title this time around.

However, this year's US Open title holds extra significance for Sabalenka. Winning the title in New York is crucial for her to maintain her top spot in the world rankings.

Sabalenka is looking to overcome the disappointment of her fourth-round exit at Wimbledon at the US Open, while also avoiding the prospect of ending the season without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2022.