Aryna Sabalenka, the defending two-time US Open champion, defeated Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1 on September 2 to advance to the third round in New York [1, 2]. She completed the match in approximately 53 minutes, showcasing dominant form [3]. Sabalenka dismissed media claims that she had been partying before the tournament, calling those reports "a joke" and emphasizing her focus on training [4, 5]. "I'm super happy to play in front of you, the night sessions here are the best," she said after the win, adding she felt mentally and physically stronger than mid-season and is aiming for a third consecutive US Open title [1, 4, 5].
On September 4, Sabalenka extended her US Open winning streak to 16 matches by defeating Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 in the third round [6]. She is pursuing her fifth Grand Slam title and looks to become the first woman since Serena Williams (2012-2014) to secure three straight US Open crowns [6].
Naomi Osaka also reached the third round on September 3, overcoming a dip in form during the second set against Katerina Siniakova. Osaka won 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 [7, 8, 9, 10]. She credited a bathroom break mid-match for helping her mentally reset and regain composure. "The match was definitely really tough. I just felt like I had to fight," Osaka said. "I just told myself that it's an honour to play on this court. I just want to keep playing in front of you guys if possible" [7, 9, 10]. Osaka will face Elise Mertens in the next round [7, 9, 10].
In other results, Emma Navarro upset seventh seed Karolina Muchova 6-3, 7-5 to reach the US Open fourth round on September 4 [11]. Amanda Anisimova was eliminated in the third round after losing 6-2, 7-5 to Anastasia Potapova on September 5. Potapova said, "To play here gives me so many goosebumps when I come out on this court in front of this crowd" [12]. Men's third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime exited the tournament after a loss to Karen Khachanov [8].
