Aryna Sabalenka secured her spot in the US Open quarter-finals for the fourth consecutive year with a confident win over Elise Mertens. The second seed, who was last year’s runner-up to Coco Gauff, defeated her former doubles partner Mertens 6-2, 6-4. Sabalenka delivered a dominant performance, striking 41 winners and saving all eight break points created by Mertens.

Sabalenka’s achievement makes her the first woman to reach four straight quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams in 2016. She has now advanced to at least the quarter-finals in her last eight Grand Slam appearances, with her last early exit occurring at the 2022 Australian Open.

In the quarter-finals, Sabalenka will face China’s Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, who overcame silver medallist Donna Vekic in a marathon match that ended at 2:15 am local time, setting the record for the latest finish to a women’s match at the US Open.

Badosa Advances to Quarter-Finals After Overcoming Injury Struggles

Paula Badosa cruised past Wang Yafan 6-1, 6-2 to book her place in the quarter-finals, where she will face Emma Navarro, the player who ended Coco Gauff’s title defense in a three-set thriller. Badosa, a former world number two, is making a remarkable comeback after a difficult period marked by a stress fracture in her back that kept her out for much of the 2023 season.

Badosa, who had not won a title since January 2022, admitted she had considered retiring from tennis due to her injury struggles. However, her return to form has been a “dream come true,” as she now reaches her second Grand Slam quarter-final.

In the women’s doubles, Britain’s Heather Watson and her American partner Asia Muhammad were defeated in their third-round match by Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, with a final score of 6-1, 5-7, 7-5.