Efficient Rybakina reaches US Open third round

Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, advanced to the third round of the US Open on Thursday, defeating Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-2, 6-4. The Kazakh player dominated the match with powerful ground strokes and strong serves that the Spanish player struggled to counter. Rybakina moved well throughout the match and did not show any signs of discomfort from a left heel injury that had raised concerns about her tournament prospects.

Despite being broken while serving for the match at 5-3, Rybakina quickly broke back to finish the match in under an hour. Rybakina expressed her happiness and pride in her strong performance, acknowledging that her preparation was imperfect. The 2026 Australian Open champion had been performing well in the US Open warmup tournaments, reaching the final in Toronto and winning matches in Cincinnati.

However, she had to withdraw from Cincinnati in the quarter-finals due to an injury, which left her uncertain heading into the tournament. Now, Rybakina only needs three more wins to reach the semi-finals and overtake Aryna Sabalenka at the top of the world rankings. Her best US Open performance was in 2025 when she lost in the fourth round to Marketa Vondrousova.

Rybakina will be seeking revenge against Ukrainian Yuliia Starodubtseva, who defeated Maria Sakkari 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 in a previous match.