Aryna Sabalenka, the second seed and last year’s US Open runner-up, advanced to the semifinals at Flushing Meadows after a commanding victory against Qinwen Zheng, in which she only dropped three games. This match marked the first encounter between two top-10 players in the women’s draw at this year’s tournament.
With tennis legend Roger Federer watching from the stands, Sabalenka produced a powerful performance, winning 6-1, 6-2, and setting up a semifinal showdown with Emma Navarro. Last year, Sabalenka was defeated by American Coco Gauff in the final, and now she’ll face another American in Navarro.
Following her win, Sabalenka was humorously asked about gaining more support from the crowd. She joked, “Drinks on me tonight?” before asking the fans in Arthur Ashe Stadium for their backing in her upcoming match.
The Belarusian has faced Navarro before, defeating her at Roland Garros but losing to her in Indian Wells earlier this year. Sabalenka acknowledged Navarro’s exceptional skill, noting, “She’s a great player… it’s going to be a great battle.”
This year, Sabalenka has dominated in majors, winning 33 out of 36 sets, and is aiming to be the first woman since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to clinch both the Australian Open and US Open titles.
The other women’s semifinalists will be determined Wednesday, with No. 1 Iga Swiatek playing No. 6 Jessica Pegula, and No. 22 Beatriz Haddad Maia facing unseeded Karolina Muchova.
Sabalenka’s victory improved her major quarterfinal record to 9-1, the second-best win percentage among women since the beginning of the Open era in 1968. Her nine semifinals appearances since 2021 lead all women’s players.
Zheng, who won three games in the match, experienced her lowest output in a Grand Slam, finishing with just 44% of her first serves. She later admitted she felt “tight” and that the disruption of late-night matches affected her performance, saying, “Yesterday I was feeling terrible.” Despite her disappointment, Zheng acknowledged the scheduling challenges inherent in the tournament format.