World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka has reached the semifinals of the US Open 2026. In the quarterfinals, the Belarusian defeated sixth seed Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic in three sets – 7:6 (7:1), 3:6, 7:6 (10:7). This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
The match on Arthur Ashe Stadium lasted 2 hours and 22 minutes. The first set went to a tiebreak, where Sabalenka conceded only one point to her opponent – 7:1.
In the second set, Noskova managed to break Sabalenka's serve and forced a decider. Before the quarterfinals, the Belarusian had not lost a single set in the tournament.
In the third set, the opponents again reached a tiebreak. This time, the winner was determined in a format up to ten points – Sabalenka prevailed 10:7 and secured her place in the last four.
However, in several statistical categories, Noskova outperformed the world No.1. Linda hit 18 aces compared to Sabalenka's 12, made 46 winners against 42, and committed fewer unforced errors – 25 versus 30. Noskova also converted three of six break points, while Sabalenka converted two of nine.
The Belarusian, however, was significantly better on second serve – winning 61% of such points compared to her opponent's 43%. The final point tally was 113:105 in Sabalenka's favor.
In the semifinals, the reigning US Open champion will face the winner of the American quarterfinal between Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro.
Meanwhile, the intrigue around the top spot in the WTA rankings remains. Elena Rybakina is ranked second and will play Qinwen Zheng (121) in the quarterfinals. If the Kazakhstani player wins and reaches the semifinals, she will become the world No.1 for the first time in her career, regardless of Sabalenka's further results at the US Open.