Sabalenka clinches dominant second-round win at US Open
09:30, 3 September
Photo courtesy of the NOC of Belarus
World number one Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus secured her second victory at the US Open, the season’s final Grand Slam tournament, BelTA has learned.
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The defending US Open champion cruised past Russian world No. 160 Polina Iatsenko 6-1, 6-1 in the second round, wrapping up the match in a mere 54 minutes. Sabalenka previously dispatched Colombian Camila Osorio (world No. 59) 6-2, 6-4 in the first round and will face Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova (world No. 92) in the third round.
Aryna Sabalenka has reached the US Open final three consecutive times. After finishing as runner-up to American Coco Gauff in 2023, she defeated two other U.S. representatives, Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova, in the following two championship matches. Sabalenka is also a former US Open doubles champion, having lifted the trophy alongside Belgium’s Elise Mertens in 2019 after overcoming Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka and Australia’s Ashleigh Barty. Meanwhile, Azarenka herself has a rich singles history at the tournament, reaching the final in 2012, 2013, and 2020, though she finished as runner-up each time.
The main draw of the 2026 US Open will conclude in New York on 13 September. The tournament features a record-breaking total prize pool of $108 million, with the men’s and women’s singles champions each taking home $5.5 million. In 2025, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz claimed the men’s singles title.
