New York, Sep 1 (UNI) World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka sent out a strong statement of intent at the 2025 US Open today IST, storming into the quarterfinals with a commanding 6-1, 6-4 win over Spain’s Cristina Bucsa on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The defending champion, who has been tested in her opening three rounds, needed just 73 minutes to dismiss the World No.95 and seal her fifth consecutive last-eight appearance at Flushing Meadows. With this result, Sabalenka is assured of retaining her top ranking regardless of the tournament’s eventual outcome.
Sabalenka had been stretched in earlier matches, having to battle through extended sets, but against Bucsa she was dominant from the baseline. Breaking serve early in the first set, she wrapped it up in a mere 27 minutes.
In the second, she showcased her trademark power, cracking consecutive forehand winners to secure the decisive break at 3-2. Though Bucsa fought bravely in a marathon seventh game, saving four break points, Sabalenka held firm to complete her 98th career Grand Slam match win.
The Belarusian’s consistency on the big stage continues to stand out. She has now reached the quarterfinals in each of the last 12 Grand Slam tournaments she has contested, an extraordinary record of sustained excellence.
Looking ahead, Sabalenka faces a sterner challenge in the last eight tomorrow, where she will meet a fellow Grand Slam champion—either Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon winner, or Marketa Vondrousova, the 2023 SW19 champion.
Both opponents have troubled her in the past. Rybakina has won three of their five recent encounters, all on hard courts, including a straight-sets win in Cincinnati last month. Vondrousova too holds four career victories over Sabalenka, though two came early in her career, while the other two were on different surfaces.
For now, Sabalenka marches on, her title defence intact and her aura of dominance very much in place at Flushing Meadows.
