Aryna Sabalenka, the second seed and last year’s US Open finalist, advanced to the semifinals by defeating Qinwen Zheng, the seventh seed, with a score of 6-1, 6-2. This victory marks Sabalenka’s fourth consecutive semifinal appearance at the US Open.
The quarterfinal match was notable as it featured the first clash between top-10 ranked players at this year’s tournament, in a rematch of the Australian Open final that Sabalenka won earlier this year. The match drew attention not only for the players but also for the presence of Roger Federer in the stands, attending the US Open for the first time since his retirement.
Following her dominant performance, Sabalenka is set to face Emma Navarro in the semifinals on Thursday. In a light-hearted moment during her post-match interview, Sabalenka joked with the crowd, saying, “Drinks on me tonight?” as she encouraged the audience to show their support in her next match.
Sabalenka, who has won 33 out of 36 sets in major tournaments this year, expressed respect for Navarro, acknowledging her as a skilled opponent. The two had previously faced off during the fourth round of the French Open, where Sabalenka emerged victorious, but Navarro won their encounter at Indian Wells earlier this year.
In the women’s semifinals, Sabalenka aims to become the first woman since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to win both the Australian Open and the US Open in the same year. The other women’s semifinal matchups will be determined on Wednesday, featuring Iga Swiatek against Jessica Pegula and Beatriz Haddad Maia against Karolina Muchova.
Zheng, despite her loss, noted that the challenging schedule impacted her performance, mentioning that fatigue from a late previous match affected her preparation. She also struggled with her serve, landing only 44% of her first serves in the match.