Townsend's strong North American form could make this competitive, but Sabalenka's US Open pedigree makes her the favorite.
Sabalenka Carries An Impressive Grand Slam Streak
- Sabalenka has won 14 of her last 15 Grand Slam fourth-round matches.
- She is on a 41-match winning streak against players outside the Top 50 at Grand Slam tournaments.
- Townsend is 0–2 in fourth-round matches at the US Open.
- She has a 3–18 career record against Top 10 players.
HTH
This will be their first meeting.
Sabalenka Maintains Her Perfect New York Momentum
Aryna Sabalenka moved into the fourth round after defeating Kamilla Rakhimova in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. She fired 10 aces and did not face a single break point during the match.
She has won all three of her matches in straight sets and has not lost more than seven games in any of those matches. Sabalenka has also yet to face a Top 50 opponent this week. With this run, she has extended her winning streak at the US Open to 17 matches.
This is also her 16th consecutive second-week appearance at a Grand Slam and her sixth straight at the US Open, highlighting her consistency at this level in recent years.
The 28-year-old lost significant ranking points during the clay-court swing and struggled to replicate her early-season form in recent months. However, she now has an opportunity to revive her season with another deep run in New York.
Sabalenka's 14-match winning streak in Grand Slam fourth-round matches recently ended against Naomi Osaka at Wimbledon. Overall, she has a 16-4 record at this stage and will be looking to continue her outstanding record in New York.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Country | Belarus |
| Age | Born 5 May 1998 |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| World Ranking | No. 1 |
| Career High | No. 1 (11 September 2023) |
| Elo Ranking | No. 1 |
| Tour-Level Titles | 24 |
Townsend Produces a Timely Upset to Reach the Last 16
Taylor Townsend moved into the round of 16 after defeating Diana Shnaider in three sets at the US Open, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3. She had a chance to close out the match in straight sets after leading 5-3 in the second-set tiebreak, but was eventually forced to play a decider before securing the win.
This is Townsend's third Grand Slam round-of-16 appearance, with her previous two both coming at the US Open. She lost both of those matches, against Bianca Andreescu in 2019 and Barbora Krejcikova in 2025, both in three sets.
Townsend has played only a limited schedule this season but has won 21 matches, including qualifying, with 14 of those victories coming in North America. Her best results during this stretch include the third round in Toronto, the final in Austin, and second-round appearances in Indian Wells and Cincinnati.
With her latest victory, Townsend snapped a six-match losing streak against Top 20 opponents. She has beaten three Top 10 players in her career, with two of those victories coming at the US Open, and will now look to add another major upset to her record in New York.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Age | Born 16 April 1996 |
| Plays | Left-handed |
| World Ranking | No. 96 |
| Career High | No. 46 (19 August 2024) |
| Elo Ranking | No. 31 |
| Tour-Level Titles | 0 |