Entertainment

Aryna Sabalenka advances to US Open third round with straight-sets victory

The defending champion defeated qualifier Polina Iatcenko in 53 minutes as she aims to retain the title and her world number one ranking.

Updated Sep 3, 2026 · 03:18 UTC1 reports

The short version

World number one Aryna Sabalenka defeated qualifier Polina Iatcenko 6-1 6-1 in the second round of the US Open.
Sabalenka must defend her title to protect her top ranking against challengers including Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, and Coco Gauff.
During her post-match press conference, Sabalenka strongly pushed back against a reporter's suggestion regarding her pre-tournament activities.
Sabalenka will face Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova in the third round.

Sabalenka completed a 6-1 6-1 win over Iatcenko in 53 minutes, hitting 24 winners compared to her opponent's three.[BBC News]
Iatcenko, ranked 160th in the world, earned $190,000 for her performance at the tournament.[BBC News]
Sabalenka will compete against Kamilla Rakhimova in the third round.[BBC News]
Elena Rybakina can claim the world number one ranking by reaching the tournament's semi-finals regardless of Sabalenka's result.[BBC News]
Fellow top seeds Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff also advanced to subsequent rounds with straight-set wins.[BBC News]

Whether Sabalenka will maintain her world number one ranking depends on her remaining matches and how far competitors such as Rybakina progress in the draw.[BBC News]