By Shrivathsa Sridhar
NEW YORK, Sept 8 (Reuters) – Sabalenka said completing a third consecutive U.S. Open triumph would ease any disappointment if she surrenders the world number one ranking, with the Belarusian’s fate at the top of the ladder no longer entirely in her own hands.
Sabalenka took a big step towards joining rare company on Tuesday, beating Linda Noskova 7-6(1) 3-6 7-6(10-7) to reach the semi-finals and stay on course for a New York “three-peat” not witnessed since Serena Williams’s triumphs from 2012-14.
The prospect of a third straight title holds greater appeal for Sabalenka than keeping top spot in the rankings, with Elena Rybakina able to overtake her if she gets a quarter-final win over China’s Zheng Qinwen on Wednesday.
“Yes, I’ll be more than happy. A ‘three-peat’ sounds great,” Sabalenka told reporters.
“I’m just super happy that I’ve put myself in the position where I have a chance to go for three-peat, even though I’m still far away from that.”
Sabalenka knows the pitfalls of chasing a third straight title at the same Grand Slam, having fallen to American Madison Keys in the 2025 Australian Open final after utterly dominant triumphs in the previous two years.
“What I learned from Australia is it’s really important to shut down all of the noise and having that at the back of your mind,” Sabalenka added.
“Nothing wrong about that, just as long as you’re focusing on yourself, as long as you’re ready to fight, basically.”
Should results go their way, Sabalenka and Rybakina would meet in Saturday’s final, renewing a rivalry that has already produced memorable showdowns on the sport’s biggest stages, including at this year’s Australian Open final.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in New York; editing by Clare Fallon)
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