Aryna Sabalenka Dominates in US Open Third Round

Aryna Sabalenka storms into the third round of the US Open with the scoreboard barely touched and her patience equally tested.

The world No.1 dismantled Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1 on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday, a routine demolition that underlined why she is chasing a third straight title in New York. The rallies were short, the outcome never in doubt. Sabalenka’s power, depth and precision simply smothered the qualifier.

The real contest came afterward.

Pressed again about her off-court schedule and whether the events around the tournament had involved “parties and fun”, Sabalenka bristled, cutting off the line of questioning with the same ruthlessness she had shown from the baseline.

“You guys are, like, a joke. Parties, fun … like, why would you even say that? Why would you even think about that? What kind of question is that?” she snapped, clearly fed up with the insinuation that her commercial commitments had compromised her preparation.

“Just because I posted, like, some activities with brands, and you think that I've been partying, not training?” she added, bringing the exchange to an abrupt halt.

On court, there was no sign of distraction. Sabalenka, a four-time grand slam champion, played with a clarity that has not always been present during a stop-start season. Her serve hit its marks, the forehand dictated, and Iatcenko never found a foothold. It was businesslike, almost cold.

The Belarusian later explained that the shift has been as much mental as tactical.

“I've been working really hard, but I feel like I'm kind of moving away from trying to be perfect on court,” she said. “I know that you cannot be perfect, and I'm just trying to work with what I have right now.”

That admission hints at the battle behind the results. Sabalenka has not lifted a trophy since the Miami Open in March, a barren stretch by her standards and a stark contrast to the dominant start that made her the sport’s standard-bearer. For a player who built her rise on relentless aggression and an almost uncompromising demand for perfection, accepting flaws marks a significant evolution.

“I think I struggled a little bit in the middle of the season,” the 28-year-old conceded. “Once again, I'm not going to defend myself or explain why, what happened, but I'm happy with my level.”

What matters to her now is not the narrative around that dip, but the feeling in her legs and in her head. Both, she insists, are back where they need to be.

“I can definitely say that mentally I'm way stronger than I was in the middle of the season, and physically I also feel stronger. I feel like I'm on my level of play, and I just want to bring the right focus on the match every time.”

That “right focus” has a sharp edge in New York. Sabalenka arrives as the double defending champion, carrying the weight of expectation and the unusual pressure of trying to avoid finishing the year without a major title. The US Open has become her stronghold, the place where her raw force and emotional volatility have found their most productive balance.

She knows the stakes. She knows the questions. She is clearly tired of one of them.

The rest of the field will care only about another: with her power restored and her mindset hardening again, who is going to stop her on Ashe this fortnight?