Aryna Sabalenka defeated Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-3 in the fourth round of the U.S. Open on Sunday at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The match featured a total of 19 games, with 11 of those including service breaks. Sabalenka, the No. 1 seed from Belarus, had seven breaks of serve compared to Townsend's four, allowing her to advance to the quarterfinals for the sixth consecutive year.
Sabalenka will next face No. 6 Linda Noskova, who won against Marta Kostyuk 7-5, 5-7, 6-4. In a post-match interview, Sabalenka commented on Townsend's performance, stating, "She was returning really well. She saw where I’m going. She was blocking really well. I guess playing doubles and mixed doubles really helped her to react on, like, heavy serve. Plus, I think it’s been a while since I played with the roof closed, so I feel like we both were struggling a little bit to see the ball, and that’s why the return got a little bit off."
Sabalenka, who is the defending champion, is the first player to reach six consecutive women’s singles quarterfinals at the U.S. Open since Serena Williams from 2011 to 2016. She has now participated in nine quarterfinals at hard-court majors since the 2022 U.S. Open, tying her with Gabriela Sabatini and Lindsay Davenport.
This victory extends Sabalenka's win streak at the U.S. Open to 18 matches. The match marked the first meeting between Sabalenka and Townsend. After exchanging breaks in the first five games, Sabalenka held serve in the sixth game and broke Townsend again to lead 5-2. Townsend managed to break back but ultimately could not maintain her momentum.
In the second set, Townsend initially took a 3-1 lead after breaking Sabalenka, but Sabalenka quickly regained control. Townsend's double fault in the fifth game allowed Sabalenka to take over, and she secured the match without further complications. This loss leaves Townsend with a 0-5 record against top 10 players in 2026, while Sabalenka improved her record to 18-0 against players ranked outside the top 50 this season, with 17 of those wins coming in straight sets.