Aryna Sabalenka, last year’s runner-up, fought through a shaky start to secure a victory over 29th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova with a score of 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 in the third round of the U.S. Open early Saturday morning. The match began at 12:08 a.m. in Arthur Ashe Stadium, following Alexei Popyrin’s unexpected defeat of defending champion Novak Djokovic late Friday night.
This match marked one of the latest starts in U.S. Open history, surpassing the previous record set in 1987 when Gabriela Sabatini and Beverly Bowes began their contest at midnight.
Initially, Sabalenka struggled with unforced errors, leading to her losing the first set in just 33 minutes. “I don’t know what I did, I was just trying to stay low, put as many balls as I can back on that side. She played incredible tennis in the first set. It was really tough to change it,” Sabalenka reflected.
However, the 26-year-old quickly regained her form, breaking Alexandrova for a 3-1 lead in the second set and displaying a powerful game that allowed her to dominate thereafter.
“I’m really happy I was able to turn around this match and get this really difficult win,” she said. Although Sabalenka was unexpectedly broken after obtaining a 5-0 lead in the final set, she sealed her victory with a backhand winner, entertaining the crowd that had stayed through the late hours.
“Thanks so much for staying that late,” Sabalenka expressed as the clock approached 2 a.m.