Sabalenka Powers Past Townsend to Reach Sixth Straight US Open Quarter-Final
Aryna Sabalenka moved into her sixth consecutive US Open quarter-final on Sunday, beating Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-3 in 75 minutes under the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof.
The top seed and two-time defending champion arrived on court with a point to prove. She lost in the fourth round at Wimbledon this season, fell in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, and was a runner-up at the Australian Open in January. Another slip here would have meant her first year without a major title since 2022. It did not happen.
The match opened in chaos. The first five games all went against serve — a break of serve means the returner wins the server's game, and five in a row is rare at any level. Townsend, ranked outside the top 50 and known for her attacking net play, was throwing everything forward. Sabalenka, who praised her opponent afterwards as "an incredible player" who "approaches the net, is a great returner, moves well and is brave," had to find a way through the pressure.
She found it quickly. After the early exchange of breaks, Sabalenka settled into her serving rhythm and squeezed the life out of the match. Across the final five games, she lost only five points. That is the sort of dominance that turns a tricky fourth-round draw into a routine afternoon.
Townsend had walked out wearing a long, black-feathered outfit that drew gasps from the crowd, and she played with the same boldness she brought to her wardrobe. But Sabalenka's power from the baseline, the foundation of both her US Open titles, eventually overwhelmed everything at the net.
The win carried a historical note. Sabalenka's sixth straight US Open quarter-final matches a feat previously achieved by Serena Williams, per India Today. She has not failed to reach the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows since 2020, and she reached the last eight this year without dropping a single set through four rounds.
For Sabalenka, the stakes go deeper than another deep run. She said after the match that she must lift the trophy to have a chance of retaining her world number one ranking. She also thanked the crowd in Arthur Ashe for being "respectful" and for cheering for her at moments during the match, a notable gesture given the home support Townsend enjoys as an American player.
What makes this run compelling is the margin. Sabalenka has not been stretched. She beat Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 in the third round, dispatched Cristina Bucsa in straight sets earlier in the tournament, and has now dropped zero sets across four matches. The quarter-final will test whether that clean path has sharpened her or merely delayed a sterner examination.
The numbers say sharpened. Seventy-five minutes, five points dropped in the final five games, and a place in the last eight for the sixth year running.
