Top seed and two-time defending champion Sabalenka advances to U.S. Open quarterfinals

Linda Noskova wins 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 vs Marta Kostyuk Linda was thinking not again after she had 2 match points when serving for the 2nd set but she gets across the line on match point #6. Becoming a master of bouncing back in the 3rd after not closing it out in 2.

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— Tennis Updates (@tennisupdates.bsky.social) September 6, 2026 at 2:18 PM

World number 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who won the U.S. Open in 2025 and 2026, advanced to the quarterfinals today when she defeated Taylor Townsend in straight sets. Sabalenka has not won a major this year, though she did reach the final of the Australian Open. 

Also advancing was Wimbledon champion 6th seed Linda Noskova, who defeated 11th seed Marta Kostyuk 7-5, 5-7, 6-4. This was, as expected (at least, by me) a riveting match, with plenty of momentum swings. The stats are interesting: Kostyuk hit nine aces, Noskova hit none. Kostyuk had a first serve win percentage of 70, while Noskova's was 63. Kostyuk's winner-to-unforced error ratio was 36/33; Noskova's was 27/37. Kostyuk converted 71% of break points; Noskova converted 67%. (Noskova did better with her second serve than Kostyuk did.)

Those stats deserve one of those Linda Noskova Won This Match graphics. The young Czech star needed six match points to win it (Kostyuk saved two of then in dramatic fashion to force a third set.) She never gave up against a very athletic player who can drive opponents crazy, and she came through on a lot of really big points. "... I feel like a huge rock fell off my heart at the end," Noskova said after the two-and-a-half-hour match.

3rd seed Jessica Pegula defeated Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals for the fourth time in her career. The scoreline looks a bit boring, but--despite some inconsistency from both players--it was a good match. Cirstea, who is set to retire at the end of this season, has enjoyed the best season of her career in 2026. There was an especially nice moment between the players at the net following the match.

In today's final round of 16 match, Emma Navarro defeated Anna Kalinskaya 6-4. Kalinskaya survived her third round match, in which she double-faulted fourteen times, but she was simply too inconsistent against an always-steady Navarro, alternating flashes of brilliance with moments of frustration-driven shot-making.