Aryna Sabalenka did not come to Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday to make friends with the moment. She came to take care of business.
The world No. 1 and two-time defending US Open champion dismissed American Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-3 in 75 minutes, booking her place in the quarterfinals without dropping a set for the fourth straight match. The fist-pump celebration that followed said everything. The three-peat is still on.
Sabalenka entered the tournament as the clear favorite and the player with the most to lose. She needs the title — and some help from Elena Rybakina’s results — to keep her grip on the No. 1 ranking. So far she has treated the pressure like just another serve she can crush. This was her 17th consecutive win at Flushing Meadows and her sixth straight appearance in the US Open quarterfinals, a run last matched by Serena Williams from 2011 to 2016.
Townsend, ranked 96th but a two-time fourth-rounder in New York and a doubles force, made the champion work. The first set featured multiple breaks. In the second, the American even grabbed a 3-1 lead. Then Sabalenka slammed the door, winning five games in a row. Townsend produced more aces (6-2) but also more unforced errors. Sabalenka converted seven of 14 break points and kept her returns deep and heavy.
The two players, who had never met before, shared a warm embrace at the net afterward. Townsend’s colorful personality and stylish outfits have been a bright spot of the tournament; her run simply ran into a player operating at a different level on this surface.
Sabalenka now waits for the winner of Marta Kostyuk versus Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova. She has never lost to either. Tuesday’s quarterfinal will test whether her current form — clinical, aggressive, and almost set-proof — can carry her all the way to a third straight US Open trophy.
For now, the message from the top of the draw is simple. Sabalenka is still all business. And New York has not found a way to slow her down.
