Sunday, September 06, 2026

US.8- Her Song


It's late summer, and Aryna Sabalenka's season has seemingly been overwhelmed by forces both beyond and within her own control. But a New York three-peat is still well within her grasp.



Of course, in 2025, Sabalenka also had what would have been one of the best seasons this century within her grasp, too. Yet, despite finishing another year at #1, it didn't quite work out that way.

Last year, Sabalenka was in the finals of three majors (playing for an AO three-peat and her first RG title), but won just one (the last one, "salvaging" her slam campaign by successfully defending her U.S. Open crown), played in finals on both ends of the Sunshine swing (winning Indian Wells), played for what would have been her maiden WTAF crown (she came up short there, too), and reached nine overall singles finals (but lost more than she won, going 4-5).

2026 has been much of the same, only a bit worse.

Sabalenka lost her second straight AO final, but rebounded to finally pull off the Sunshine Double she missed out on last year. But she hasn't won a title since that March stretch, and has instead suffered a series of disconcerting collapses, including losing after having 6 MP vs. Hailey Baptiste in Madrid, then losing a 6-3/4-1 30/love lead vs. Diana Shnaider in the RG QF, falling in a love 3rd.

Sabalenka lost another love 3rd set vs. Jessie Pegula in Berlin, then her Round of 16 defeat in Wimbledon (vs. Naomi Osaka, on grass) was her worst finish in a major since the 2022 RG. She then fell this hardcourt summer at that same stage in both Toronto (to Ekaterina Alexandrova, who was under .500 for the year) and Cincinnati (to Sara Bejlek). Sabalenka nearly lost the #1 ranking to Elena Rybakina *before* the start of the U.S. Open, and now needs a combination of occurrences -- first w/ Rybakina not reaching the SF, then if that happens either Sabalenka winning the title, or either Coco Gauff or Jessie Pegula *not* -- to hold onto the top spot.

Yet, here we are, into the second week at the season's final major once again, and Sabalenka is still cookin'. As she should have, she posted a 6-4/6-3 win over Taylor Townsend, whose biggest headline on the day came in her attempt to steal the fashion runway spotlight from Osaka during her 24-hour absence from the daily schedule.



Today's win was Sabalenka's 17th straight in the U.S. Open, where she's won 23 of her last 24 matches. She's 10-1 in hard court majors in '26, and 54-4 since the U.S. in '22. She's reached the last *seven* AO/US finals.

After missing out on her AO three-peat last year, Sabalenka is still alive to accomplish the feat in New York. The last woman to do that was Serena Williams (from 2012-14), whose three-year reign is only the second in the Open era after Chris Evert's four-year run of titles from 1975-78. The most recent before that? "Little" Mo Connolly in 1951-53.

If Rybakina reaches the SF, Sabalenka will lose her #1 ranking no matter what happens the rest of the way (then Rybakina can try to keep it, with so many points to defend this fall). But if the Kazakh doesn't do the deed by her own hand -- and she still might have to defeat *two* former U.S. Open champions just the reach the final four -- then Sabalenka might still yet hold onto her top spot.

At any rate, she can still keep New York City -- the slam host that seems to suit her personality best -- as her own.

If Sabalenka can ultimately do over this second week precisely what she did last year, as in arriving in town while pushing all her season's slam chips to the middle of the table and *winning*, #1 ranking or no #1 ranking the final melody of this U.S. Open will still be her HER song.

All the details haven't yet been ironed out, but Sabalenka's task couldn't be more clear.





=DAY 8 NOTES=
...Sabalenka's next match won't be another in her intriguing series with Marta Kostyuk, but instead vs. one of the three players who've accomplished what the current world #1 *hasn't* this season. That is, win a major title.

Looking to become the first maiden slam champion since 2019 to win *another* major title in her next attempt, last accomplished when Naomi Osaka won the '18 U.S. and '19 AO in order (no other first-timer has reached a follow-up final since, though two have reached SF -- Sabalenka at RG23 and Gauff at AO24), #6 Linda Noskova won a hard fought battle on Sunday with the #11-seeded Ukrainian, the same player the Czech defeated in the Wimbledon semis earlier this summer en route to her Wimbledon title.

The 21-year old Noskova had to work overtime to do it in spite of her 7-5/5-3 lead in the affair. She held two MP at 5-4, only to see Kostyuk get the break, then two games later get another to swipe a 7-5 set win of her own.

The Czech led 5-3 again in the decider, and served at 5-4. She held two more MP (40/15) there, had to save a BP, then had two more MP chances before finally putting away her fifth of the match, winning 7-5/5-7/6-4.

Noskova has won eleven straight matches in slam play as she powers her way into her first U.S. Open QF.



Sabalenka holds a 2-0 edge in the head-to-head with Noskova, winning a (long ago by now, as the Czech was just two months past her 18th birthday at the time) match in Adelaide in '23, as well as a potentially more relevant win this past March in Indian Wells.

...later on Armstrong, #3 Jessie Pegula punched her ticket to a third consecutive U.S. Open QF (and fourth in the last five majors) with a 6-3/6-4 win over #16 Sorana Cirstea, seemingly ending the slam career of the 36-year old Romanian who announced early this year that 2026 would be her farewell season on tour.

Cirstea has since gone on to have perhaps her best season, becoming the oldest player to make her Top 20 singles debut, reaching a QF in RG (her best run in Paris in 17 years) and winnning a title in Cluj (her first WTA win on home soil, and her second tour-level title since last summer, after having gone four years without winning any). She notched her maiden career #1 win over Sabalenka in Rome, and is set to possibly reach another new career-high ranking after the Open (Cirstea is at a "live" #15).



Pegula, still in the mix for the #1 ranking, improves to 27-9 in her U.S. Open career. She's 14-3 this hard court summer, but has yet to be able to *finish* a great run. She won a 1000 title in Dubai in February, but in recent weeks has reached a pair of finals, only to fall in Washington (vs. Eala) and Cincinnati (vs. Gauff).

...the other QF in the top half of the draw will be an all-Bannerette affair, as #26 Emma Navarro defeated #21 Anna Kalinskaya 6-4/6-2 in the wrap-up match on Ashe, reaching her second U.S. Open QF in three years (w/ her '24 SF) and her first at any major since AO25. Navarro's game is getting better with each round, as after starting with a pair of three-set wins she's lost just 8 and 6 games, respectively, in her last two wins.



Pegula defeated Navarro a few weeks ago in the Cincinnati 3rd Round, and leads their head-to-head series 4-0. But the matches *have* been competitive, with two three-setters and 7-6 and 7-5 sets in Pegula's pair of straight sets wins.

...in wheelchair play in College Park (MD), Diede de Groot doubled up on titles heading into the Open, adding to her Saturday win in singles by taking the doubles today alongside Aniek Van Koot with a 6-3/6-2 win over Manami Tanaka & Zhu Zhenzhen.

De Groot won six straight U.S, Open singles titles before her late '24 hip surgery. She lost in the QF a year ago, suffering just her second loss in eight appearances in the WC tournament in New York. She's made the doubles final at Flushing Meadows in all eight appearances (winning five times).

...junior MD play has started at Flushing Meadows, and in stark contrast to the opening rounds of women's MD action, we've already got a Top 4 seed out.

#4-seeded Brazilian Victoria Luiza Barros was knocked off by Bannerette wild card Annika Penickova.

BTW, Jana Kovackova & Katerina Zajickova are the #5 seeds in the girls' doubles. Kovackova, already the first player with a Career Slam in Girls' Doubles, will now be looking to be the first to complete a season Grand Slam. The Czech has won the last four major GD crowns, starting with last year's U.S. Open with sister Alena. The two teamed up to win in Australia in January, then Jana and Zajickova took the titles in Paris and London.

...on the ITF World Tennis circuit, 17-year old Brit Hannah Klugman picked up her maiden pro title with a win over Linda Fruhvirtova in the final of a $50K in Leiria, Portugual, taking the 7-5/4-6/6-1 final.

Earlier this season, Klugman recorded her first tour-level match win in Nottingham, finding a spot in the MD as a lucky loser and upsetting Harriet Dart.



Also, in Saint-Palais-sur-Mer, France, Fiona Ferro won the all-Pastry battle with Clara Burel, adding a $50K crown to the 125 she won back in April (Oeiras).

Taiwan's Joanna Garland won the week's biggest crown, taking the $75K in Tianjin, China, with a win over Darya Astakhova.







*WOMEN'S SINGLES ROUND OF 16*
#1 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR def. Taylor Townsend/USA
#6 Linda Noskova/CZE def, #11 Marta Kostyuk/UKR
#3 Jessie Pegula/USA def. #16 Sorana Cirstea/ROU
#26 Emma Navarro/USA def. #21 Anna Kalinskaya/RUS
#5 Mirra Andreeva/RUS vs. #24 Anastasia Potapova/AUT
#14 Iva Jovic/USA vs. #4 Coco Gauff/USA
#8 Iga Swiatek/POL vs. (Q) Zheng Qinwen/CHN
#13 Naomi Osaka/JPN vs. #2 Elena Rybakina/KAZ

*WOMEN'S DOUBLES ROUND OF 16*
#1 Siniakova/Townend (CZE/USA) vs. #13 Hunter/Krawczyk (AUS/USA)
Neel/Olmos (EST/MEX) vs. #6 Bucsa/Melichar-Martinez (ESP/USA)
#4 Hsieh/Ostapenko (TPE/LAT) vs. #14 Chan/Joint (TPE/AUS)
#10 Perez/Schuurs (AUS/NED) vs. #8 Mertens/Schuurs (BEL/NED)
Bondar/Kalinina (HUN/UKR) vs. #9 Routliffe/Sutjiadi (NZL/INA)
(WC) Krueger/Montgomery (USA/USA) vs. Maria/Sonmez (GER/TUR)
#7 Jiang/Zhang (CHN/CHN) vs. Kato/Wu (JPN/TPE)
Hozumi/Klepac (JPN/SLO) vs. #2 Dabrowski/Stefani (CAN/BRA)

*MIXED DOUBLES FINAL*
Karolina Muchova/Jakub Mensik (CZE/CZE) def. #4 Belinda Bencic/Flavio Cobolli (SUI/ITA) 6-3/1-6 [10-6]










...WELL-PLAYED (tip of the cap)... ON DAY 8:





...I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE IT'S JUST ME... ON DAY 8:


But I kind of think that a slam can only support *one* fashion sideshow star per tournament. Serena used to fill that role in New York, and now -- whether it rubs some wrong or not -- Osaka has taken up that mantle (at all four majors).

Townsend's HBCU tribute was a nice nod the other day, but it sort of strains the confines of the attempt when a doubles specialist and barely-Top 100 singles player *continues* to try and occupy the stage in a bigger way than should probably be necessary (or needed).




...NICE (I just hope she didn't draw a Hordette on the previous page)... ON DAY 8:





...SEE YA, SORI... ON DAY 8:


If this is the end -- and maybe it will be since her results haven't *quite* held to her early-season heights (she hasn't reached a QF since RG, or a SF since Rome) -- then Cirstea's 20-year slam career (2007-26) concludes with a 76-69 record, three QF (2 RG, 1 US) and five Top 10 wins.













#IsmuasMonthOfMusic #MusicChallenge Day 2: A song that aged beautifully Elton John - Your Song youtu.be/CrznwpD-2tk

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— Scotify (@scotify.bsky.social) January 1, 2026 at 9:25 PM










New York












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**BACKSPIN 2026 ITF WORLD TENNIS PLAYER-OF-THE-MONTH WINNERS**
JAN 1: Mananchaya Sawangkaew, THA
JAN 2: Lilli Tagger, AUT
FEB: Celine Naef, SUI
MAR: Hanne Vandewinkel, BEL
1Q...VANDEWINKEL
APR: Jeline Vandromme, BEL
MAY 1: Ekaterina Tupitsyna, RUS
MAY 2: Kristina Liutova, RUS
2Q 1...LIUTOVA
JUN: Polina Iatcenko, RUS
JUL: Eva Vedder, NED
2Q 2 (grass)...IATCENKO
JUL: Alicia Dudeney, GBR
AUG: Hanne Vandewinkel, BEL
[Multiple 2026 Weekly ITF WORLD TENNIS Award Wins]
2...Alicia Dudeney, GBR
2...Tyra Grant, ITA
2...Alena Kovackova/Jana Kovackova, CZE/CZE
2...Barbora Palicova, CZE
2...Hanne Vandewinkel, BEL

**BACKSPIN 2026 TEAM-OF-THE-MONTH WINNERS**
AO: Olivia Gadecki/John Peers, AUS/AUS
FEB/MAR: Belinda Bencic/Flavio Cobolli, SUI/ITA
1Q...GADECKI/PEERS
APR: GBR BJK Cup Team
MAY: Texas A&M Women's Team
RG: Sara Errani/Andrea Vavassori, ITA/ITA
2Q 1...ERRANI/VAVASSORI
WI: Alona Ostapenko/Marcelo Arevalo, LAT/ELS
2Q 2 (grass)...OSTAPENKO/AREVALO
JUL/AUG: ITA 14u Team
US: Karolina Muchova/Jakob Mensik, CZE/CZE
3Q...MUCHOVA/MENSIK





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sure man, whatever’s comfortable for you #Cat #Caturday 0l

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— Free Cats Daily😻 (@freecatsdaily.bsky.social) September 4, 2026 at 2:14 PM

Loaf vs melted cheese

— Making-Good 👊🏳️‍🌈🔥 (@making-good.bsky.social) September 4, 2026 at 4:23 PM


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Partners in crime… a

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— I 💙 Dogs (@dogs100.bsky.social) September 6, 2026 at 10:44 AM









TOP QUALIFIER: Lucie Havlickova, CZE
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #7 Karolina Muchova/CZE (follows up MX title w/ 4 games lost 1r/2r)
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): x
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q2: #31 Andrea Lazaro Garcia/ESP def. Mai Hontama/JPN 5-7/7-6(6)/6-1 - saved 7 MP, four at 5-4 in 2nd set and three more at triple MP at 6-3 in TB
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 2nd Rd. - Cristina Bucsa/ESP def. (Q) Himeno Sakatsume/JPN 7-6(6)/6-7(0)/7-6(10-6) - three tie-breaks; Bucsa served 5-4 w/ 2 MP in 3rd, then again at 6-5
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F): x
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Jasmine Paolini/ITA (def. Veronika Erjavec/SLO)
FIRST SEED OUT: #27 Barbora Krejcikova/CZE (1r- lost to Kamila Rakhimova/UZB)
FIRST CAREER SLAM MD WINS: Polina Iatcenko/RUS (1st MD), Himeno Sakatsume/JPN (2nd), Lilli Tagger/AUT (2nd)
PROTECTED RANKING MD WINS: Nadia Podoroska/ARG, Mananchaya Sawangkaew/THA (both 2nd Rd.)
LUCKY LOSER MD WINS: D.Semenistaja/LAT (1r-L)
UPSET QUEENS: Spain
REVELATION LADIES: Great Britain
NATION OF POOR SOULS: SUI (0-3 1st Rd.; #12 Bencic hightest seed out; Teichmann w/d)
CRASH & BURN: Madison Keys/USA (3r- blew 5-0 lead in 3rd set vs. Zheng/CHN, had a MP)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEW YORK: Madison Keys/USA (2r- saved 5 MP vs. Bondar/HUN; Bondar 2 MP at 5-2 in 3rd, 3 more at 5-3, then served for again at 5-4; Bondar led 5-3 in MTB, Keys won last 7 points)
IT ("?"): x
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Zheng Qinwen/CHN (in 4th Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Leolia Jeanjean/FRA, Sofia Kenin/USA, Taylah Preston/AUS, Sloane Stephens/USA (all 2nd Rd.)
LAST BANNERETTE STANDING: in 4r: Gauff, Jovic, Navarro(W), Pegula(W), Townsend(L)
COMEBACK: Zheng Qinwen/CHN
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): x
DOUBLES STAR: x
BIG APPLE BANNERETTE BREAKTHROUGH: Iva Jovic/USA
BROADWAY-BOUND: Naomi Osaka (and the nominee for "Best Costume Design" is...)
LADY OF THE EVENING: Nominees: Kenin d. V.Williams in 2:02 a.m. finish (latest 1r); Jovic/Eala NextGen dual on Ashe
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x
BIG CITY ROLLER: x







All for Day 8. More tomorrow.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 11:44 PM 

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