Aryna Sabalenka scraped through a 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(7) quarterfinal against Linda Nosková at the 2026 US Open on Tuesday, moving one step closer to scoring a third straight Grand Slam tennis title.
The No. 1 seed spent two hours and 22 minutes fending off the reigning Wimbledon champion inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, wobbling but never fully conceding in their third meeting.
Aryna Sabalenka Needs 2 Tiebreaks to Beat Linda Nosková
Sabalenka seized control early through a lopsided opening tiebreaker (7-1), but Nosková answered by running away with the second set.
Down a break at 2-4 in the third, Sabalenka clawed back to level at 4-4 and force another tiebreaker. She sealed it 10-7 in the first-to-10 format, finishing with a second-serve ace.
"What an incredible player she is," Sabalenka said of her Grand Slam opponent. "I was pushing myself to the limit."
The final scoreline barely captured how close the match really was.
Nosková posted more aces (18 to 12) and more winners (46 to 42), yet Sabalenka's steadiness when it mattered most carried her through. She has now won 10 consecutive tiebreakers at the US Open and 18 straight career matches at Flushing Meadows.
Next up, Sabalenka meets No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula in the semifinals. Another two wins would make her the first WTA player to claim three consecutive US Open titles since Serena Williams's 2012-14 run.
