‘I want to win many more times’ – Sabalenka races through

After past Cristina Bucsa to reach the quarter-finals in New York, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka claimed that her 2025 challenge is not based solely on her success from the previous year’s US Open.

In Louis Armstrong Stadium, the 27-year-old Belarusian won 6-1, 6-4, in the match against the unseeded Spaniard without a break point.

Sabalenka defeated American Jessica Pegula in the final of her third Grand Slam singles victory overall, which she won in September last year.

She lost to Coco Gauff and Madison Keys in the finals of Roland Garros and the Australian Open, respectively, to not have won a major title this year.

When asked about the pressure of defending her title at Flushing Meadows, Sabalenka responded, “I play not to lose, I play to win.”

“I don’t care what transpired last year,” he said. It’s a big accomplishment, of course, and I’m happy I did it once, but the goal is to do it more often.

“I always go out with the best fighting spirit and just fight for my dream,” my mentality says.

Sabalenka wants to win the US Open women’s singles title for the first time since Serena Williams did it in 2014.

In 27 minutes, Sabalenka broke Bucsa, who was ranked 95th in the world, twice to win the first set.

Busca held steady in her opening two service matches of the second set, but Sabalenka won the fifth game, keeping her position as world number one until the tournament’s conclusion, by securing a consolation break in the fifth game.

After defeating fellow Wimbledon champion Rybakina, Vondrousova defeated her to make it to the last-second Grand Slam quarter-final.

Czech left-hander Vondrousova has struggled with injuries and missed last year’s US Open due to shoulder surgery on the eve of the tournament. She won at the All England Club in 2023.

The 26-year-old out-served Rybakina, who is currently leading the WTA Tour in terms of ace count and first-serve percentage this year.

After falling to seventh seed Jasmine Paolini in the final round, Vondrousova twice broke Rybakina’s serve to put down 13 aces to her ninth-seeded opponent’s five.

It’s amazing to be standing here again, said Vindrousova, who is ranked 60th overall.