Sabalenka rallies past Noskova to reach sixth straight US Open semifinal

Aryna Sabalenka recovered from a break down in the deciding set to defeat Linda Noskova 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(7) in the US Open quarterfinals on Tuesday. BBC Sport reported that the world No. 1 believed her title defense was slipping away before she completed the comeback at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

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The two-time defending champion needed two hours and 22 minutes to overcome the sixth-seeded Wimbledon champion. Sabalenka controlled the first-set tiebreak, winning it 7-1, but Noskova responded by taking the second set 6-3 and carried that momentum into the decider.

Noskova moved 4-2 ahead in the third set, putting Sabalenka under severe pressure. The Belarusian then recovered the break and forced a deciding match tiebreak. Noskova also led 2-0 in that tiebreak, but Sabalenka turned it around and sealed the match 10-7 on her first match point with a second-serve ace, according to the WTA's match report.

The victory sends Sabalenka into a sixth consecutive US Open semifinal. The WTA said it is also the 15th Grand Slam semifinal of her career. Her run in New York now stretches from 2021 through 2026, and she remains in contention for a third successive title at Flushing Meadows after winning the tournament in 2024 and 2025.

For Noskova, the defeat ended her first US Open quarterfinal run only weeks after she won Wimbledon. The Czech player had pushed the defending champion to the limit, taking a set and building leads in both the deciding set and the final tiebreak before Sabalenka recovered.

Sabalenka's next opponent had not been determined when the result was reported. She was due to face the winner of the all-American quarterfinal between Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro. The WTA also noted that the result was Sabalenka's first victory over a top-10 opponent since she beat Coco Gauff in the Miami final in March, and her sixth such win of the 2026 season.