Aryna Sabalenka defeated American Taylor Townsend 6-4 6-3 to reach a sixth consecutive US Open quarter-final, emulating Serena Williams at Flushing Meadows. The two-time defending champion extended her unbeaten streak at the tournament to 18 matches.
The match featured 10 breaks of serve, with Townsend building a 3-1 lead in the second set before Sabalenka recovered. Sabalenka clinched the victory with five consecutive games in 75 minutes. The Belarusian's resilience was tested by a crowd that largely favored her opponent.
Sabalenka, 28, has now won 38 singles matches at the US Open since her main-draw debut in 2018, more than any other woman in that span. She is the first woman to reach six consecutive quarter-finals at the tournament since Williams in 2016. Three more wins would give her a third consecutive US Open title, matching Williams' record of three in a row.
Sabalenka faces Czech sixth seed Linda Noskova in the quarter-finals after Noskova defeated Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk 7-5 5-7 6-4. Noskova needed six match points to prevail after missing five earlier in the match.
In other quarters results, American third seed Jessica Pegula defeated Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-3 6-4. Cirstea, who announced plans to retire at the end of 2026, reached a career-high ranking of 17 following strong performances at earlier majors this year. Pegula will face fellow American Emma Navarro, who beat Russian Anna Kalinskaya 6-4 6-2.
