Sabalenka escapes Noskova from a break down in decider at US Open

Aryna Sabalenka’s pursuit of a third straight US Open title remains alive. The top seed rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the third set to edge Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-6 (7), earning a spot in her sixth consecutive US Open semifinal and her 15th Grand Slam semifinal overall.

The victory extended Sabalenka’s winning streak at Flushing Meadows to 18 matches, leaving her two wins shy of becoming the first woman to win three consecutive titles in New York since Serena Williams from 2012 to 2014.

"I'm just super happy that I put myself in the position where I have a chance to go for the three-peat, even though I'm still far away from that," Sabalenka said. "What I learned from Australia is it's really important to shut down all the noise. There is nothing wrong with having that in the back of your mind, as long as you're focusing on yourself and ready to fight."

Sabalenka weathered 46 winners, including 18 aces, from Noskova, who saved seven of nine break points. Sabalenka answered with 42 winners and 12 aces, closing out her first match point with a second-serve ace out wide.

"I feel like I got lucky," Sabalenka said. "I think she expected a kick to her backhand and didn't read the serve. I'm happy I finished with a second-serve ace. It was a really tough, tight battle."

 

The win was Sabalenka’s first over a Top 10 opponent since she defeated Coco Gauff in the Miami final in March, and her sixth of the 2026 season.

It was also her first three-set victory at a major this year, following losses to Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final and Diana Shnaider in the Roland Garros quarterfinals. Sabalenka snapped Noskova’s six-match winning streak in third-set tiebreaks while improving to 2-1 in them this season.

“I just felt at some point in the third set she was definitely serving better than me and putting so much pressure on me, but I’m glad that I kind of threw that thought away and I was able to focus point by point and literally just trying to build something bigger in that moment,” Sabalenka said.

It was the first meeting of reigning Grand Slam champions since the Miami final and the first between two Top 10 players at this year’s US Open.

A win would have offered Sabalenka evidence that she is moving beyond the midseason slump that saw her fall before the semifinals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. For Noskova, who entered on an 11-match winning streak at majors, it was another chance to show that her breakthrough Grand Slam title can be the start of sustained contention.

After 2 hours and 22 minutes, Sabalenka emerged with the win. As the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd rose to applaud, both players left the court having delivered one of the tournament’s most compelling matches.

“What an incredible player she is,” Sabalenka said in her on-court interview. “I’m speechless right now because I was pushing myself to the limit, especially in the third set. I honestly thought that was it, that match was over, and probably that’s what helped me to feel loose and go after my shots.”

Next, Sabalenka will face either No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula or No. 26 seed Emma Navarro. A meeting with Pegula would mark the 14th installment of their rivalry; Sabalenka has beaten her at the US Open in each of the past two years.

First set: Sabalenka holds off Noskova fightback

Noskova, bidding to make her second Grand Slam semifinal, was slow out of the blocks. The 21-year-old dropped the first seven points, and first three games, in a flurry of errors and missed returns. In the blink of an eye, Sabalenka held two points for a 5-1 double-break lead.

It was only at this point that Noskova's formidable serve began to click, and a pair of unreturnable deliveries enabled her to escape with the hold. When Sabalenka, serving for the set at 5-4, opened with a double fault, that was the cue for Noskova to get her eye in on return. Firing her responses deep and straight at Sabalenka's feet, the Czech broke back and forced a tiebreak.

But once there, her momentum evaporated. An early double fault set the tone for an error-strewn tiebreak from Noskova, while Sabalenka cruised to the first set.

Second set: Noskova brings variety into play to turn match around

Noskova's resilience has been the hallmark of her summer -- this is the player who regrouped to win the third set of the Wimbledon final after squandering a 5-2 lead and five championship points in the second set, a dynamic that had also repeated in her wins over Ann Li and Marta Kostyuk in New York. So it was little surprise that she was able to shake off that tiebreak and regain the momentum.

Noskova saved two break points in the first game, then another to hold for 3-2. It was at this juncture that she began showing off her full repertoire: a pair of brilliant backhand passes, a series of drop shots and even a successful return-and-net-rush combination. A rattled Sabalenka conceded her serve with a double fault to go down 4-2, and though Noskova needed four set points in the end, an ace levelled the match in style.

Third set: Sabalenka finds cool head to pull off comeback

Noskova continued to deliver scintillating play at the start of the third set, combined with her best serving of the day. She continued to leaven her power with well-timed net approaches, wrong-footing slices and changes of pace, and as she moved up 4-2 had won 10 straight points on serve.

Sabalenka had blinked at 2-2, coughing up two double faults to go down 0-40. After the second, she crouched to the ground and let her frustration out with a yell of despair -- a familiar sound throughout her various defeats this summer.

But this time was different. Serving down 4-2, Sabalenka stayed disciplined to come out on top of one of the rare extended rallies of the day. From that point on, there was no negative body language, minimal audible frustration -- and few unforced errors. By contrast, Noskova's perfectly calibrated balance of power and finesse began to go awry, and poor shot selection enabled Sabalenka to break back for 4-4.

The denouement of the match was a nail-biter, with both players winning their share of breathtaking points. Noskova won a terrific net exchange and took an early 2-0 lead in the super-tiebreak, but let it slip after an ill-timed pair of forehand errors and a double fault.

By contrast, Sabalenka found her best serves of the day at the climax of the contest. Four of her last five deliveries were unreturned, and that was enough to see her hold off her valiant challenger.