Defending champion Sabalenka extends US Open winning streak with Rakhimova win

Aryna Sabalenka, representing Belarus, triumphed over Kamilla Rakhimova from Uzbekistan in the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships held in New York on September 4, 2026. The match concluded with Sabalenka winning 6-3, 6-4. The No. 1 seed faced a grueling challenge in the second set, which extended by a minute beyond her longest past match.

Sabalenka praised her opponent's performance, stating, "She played incredible tennis... She really pushed me so hard in the second set, and I love when they bring their best tennis because they really push me to improve."

Sabalenka will advance to the fourth round to face Taylor Townsend, aiming to become the first player to secure three consecutive U.S. Open titles since Serena Williams between 2012 and 2014. Meanwhile, Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, are set to play doubles at night against Hao-Ching Chan and Maya-Joint, who had previously defeated Serena in singles at Wimbledon this summer.

Sabalenka approached the chair umpire during the third game of her match in Louis Armstrong Stadium, where she noticed a foul odor emanating from the surroundings. She expressed her frustration, stating, "I was like, guys, you can do whatever, you can smoke whatever, you can relax as much as you can, but please, to not do it around the tennis courts."