At the beginning of the 2026 US Open match between Aryna Sabalenka and Taylor Townsend, neither player seemed to remember how to hold serve. Through four games, the first set was tied at 2-all, but neither player had held serve. Still, Sabalenka might have had the advantage.
The cream normally rises to the top, and unless the seemingly less-talented player took full advantage of their opportunities, the other player would likely win. Townsend is an excellent player and is a better doubles player than Sabalenka, but as much as the American was breaking the Belarusian, she should have held the lead.
After finally holding serve, Sabalenka had jumped out to a 5-2 lead until she was once again broken. It was the third time in the opening set that the current WTA No. 1 couldn't hold serve, an astonishing fact. The problem for Townsend that, until she held to get to 4-5, she hadn't held once.
Aryna Sabalenka overcomes Taylor Townsend in the fourth round of the 2026 US Open
In almost every game, the returner was striking the ball well, but the server was simply not placing the ball effectively. Each player landed well over 60 percent of their first serves, but won less than 50 percent of those points. It was ugly and beautiful tennis all at once. But Sabalenka only needed to hold one more time to take the first set 6-4.
It wasn't easy, and even faced a break point, but the Belarusian did hold. She belted out a large scream of both defiance and rage at the end of the set. She had survived the set.
At the beginning of the second set, her struggles continued. She was broken early and was down 1-3. That is about the time when true champions begin to rise, and Sabalenka did just that. She roared back, holding (if not with her normal ease) and breaking Townsend. A 1-3 deficit turned into a 503 advantage after a love hold.
Sabalenka had taken full control of a match she should have controlled from the first ball. Still, a victory, no matter how pretty it is, mattered, and in the end, taking the second set 6-3 (after ending the match with another break, of course) will allow the Belarusian to move into the quarterfinals. She has made the final of the US Open the last three years, and won in each of the last two.
Aryna Sabalenka will next face a massive uptick in the level of competition. She will take on either Marta Kostyuk or Linda Noskova, the 2026 Wimbledon winner, in the quarterfinals of the US Open. Whoever wins the match could go on to win the entire tournament.
Add us as a preferred source on Google