Aryna Sabalenkova returned to her best form as the world number one stormed into the third round of the US Open in just 53 minutes

Aryna Sabalenkova of Belarus celebrates winning her match against Polina Iatsenko of Russia during the second round of the US Open tennis championships, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger) Aryna Sabalenko made a huge statement at the US Open, advancing to the third round with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 win over Polina Iatcenko in just 53 minutes.The world number one looked sharp and powerful after arriving in New York under pressure after a string of early exits.Sabalenkova was nearly flawless on her first serve, winning 15 of 16 points in the opening set and 21 of 28 overall. She is aiming to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2012-14 to win three consecutive US Open titles.“I’m happy with the level I played today, happy with my concentration and happy to win this match,” she said.Third seed Jessica Pegula also quickly made it to the third round, defeating Sofia Kenina 6-3, 6-1 in 56 minutes.“Being less than an hour away, that doesn’t always happen,” Pegula said. “So I think I’ll take that one and run, I guess, until the next round.

Rain causes further delays

The tournament continued to be disrupted by rain, with matches on outdoor courts repeatedly halted while play was played under roofs at Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong Stadiums.The weather also forced several players to wait a few days to complete their opening matches. Spain’s Paula Badosa eventually defeated Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-4, while Australia’s Alex de Minaur finally opened her campaign with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 win over Andrea Guerrieri.“It’s been a tough couple of days. But I think these tournaments are about adaptation and that’s the name of the game,” de Minaur said. “There’s too much at stake for something like that to affect you.The first round was finally completed on Wednesday evening with 25 men’s singles matches played as the organizers struggled to recover from the delay. Several seeded players also advanced, including Ben Shelton, Daniil Medvedev and Karolina Muchova.