World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka storms into US Open third round

NEW YORK: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka delivered a statement performance at the US Open on Wednesday, powering past Russian qualifier Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1 to book her place in the third round.

The top seed needed just 54 minutes to dismantle the 22-year-old Iatcenko, who was appearing in the main draw of a Grand Slam singles tournament for the first time. Sabalenka’s combination of explosive groundstrokes, aggressive serving and relentless pressure proved too much for the world No. 160.

Sabalenka immediately seized control, racing into a 5-0 lead before Iatcenko finally got on the scoreboard. The Belarusian dropped only four points on serve during the opening set and continued to dictate play in the second.

Although Sabalenka briefly lost her serve, she quickly recovered by winning the next three games to close out another emphatic victory. The result extended her unbeaten run against qualifiers at the tournament and strengthened her bid for an unprecedented third consecutive US Open title.

The victory is particularly significant given Sabalenka’s uneven season. The four-time Grand Slam champion endured disappointing exits at the French Open and Wimbledon and struggled to find her best rhythm during the hard-court events leading into New York.

However, she appears to have rediscovered her confidence on the Flushing Meadows courts.

“I’m happy with my level,” Sabalenka said, adding that she feels mentally and physically stronger than she did during the middle of the season.

She also explained that she is trying to move away from the pressure of playing perfect tennis and instead focus on making the most of her game on the day.

Sabalenka’s next challenge will come against Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova, ranked 92nd in the world.

With her powerful game firing again, Sabalenka is rapidly emerging as one of the biggest stories of this year’s US Open—and her quest for a historic three-peat is gathering serious momentum.