US Open 2026: Pegula and Sabalenka shine, Ostapenko eliminated early

New York – In just 56 minutes, Jessica Pegula showed the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd why she is one of the top contenders for this year's US Open title. The American No. 3 seed had little trouble overcoming fellow countrywoman Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-1 to advance to the third round of the final Grand Slam of the year. Pegula, last year's runner-up at Flushing Meadows, surrendered only seven points on serve and finished with 18 winners against eight unforced errors. She never faced a break point, a statistic reflecting her solidity in serving and returning. This is the seventh consecutive year Pegula has reached the third round in New York, an impressive feat. "I knew today was going to be tough. Sonya has given me a lot of trouble in the past," Pegula said after the match. "She's a great player and a champion, so I was just trying to stay focused on what I needed to do." This match was far less competitive than their previous Grand Slam meeting. At the 2026 US Open, Pegula needed a first-set tiebreak to get past the 2026 Australian Open champion. This time, she broke Kenin to lead 3-1 in the first set, then won seven consecutive games to close out the match. Pegula said she has improved her second serve: "I'm going pretty big on second serves, I'm trying to mix up where I'm going and just trust that I can hit good serves in the moment. That's been a lot of work we've done off the court, so really excited when I can practice something, and it pays off in the match." In the next round, Pegula will face No. 31 Leylah Fernandez of Canada, the 2026 runner-up. Fernandez defeated Thailand's Mananchaya Sawangkaew 6-4, 6-1. This will be a notable match between two former finalists at this tournament. Meanwhile, top seed Aryna Sabalenka continued to show her dominance, needing only 54 minutes to defeat Russian qualifier Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1. The two-time defending champion is aiming for a hat-trick of titles at Flushing Meadows. "I'm happy with my level," Sabalenka said. "I've been working really hard, but I feel like I'm kind of moving away from trying to be perfect on court. I know that you cannot be perfect, and I'm just trying to work with what I have right now." The night session ended with sixth-seeded Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic defeating Thailand's Lanlana Tararudee 6-4, 6-2. One of the most exciting matches of the fourth day was the comeback of ninth-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine. She nearly lost when she had a match point in the second-set tiebreak, but ultimately prevailed over Australia's Maya Joint 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-4. No. 14 seed Iva Jovic, 18, completed a delayed first-round match, defeating Poland's Magdalena Frech 7-5, 6-3. Jovic recovered from an early deficit in the opening set to close out the straight-sets victory. No. 15 Diana Shnaider defeated former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 7-6(4). Shnaider, who reached the French Open semifinals earlier this season, will face Taylor Townsend, who overwhelmed Australia's Taylah Preston 6-1, 6-1. No. 18 Ekaterina Alexandrova advanced in three sets, beating Australia's Kimberly Birrell 6-1, 2-6, 6-3. She will meet No. 11 Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine, who eliminated 2026 US Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-1, 7-5. Kostyuk led 6-1, 4-2 before Stephens mounted a second-set comeback and eventually earned a set point opportunity. Kostyuk escaped the danger and won the final three games. "I was a little nervous," Kostyuk admitted. "I kind of knew what to expect, but I knew she was gonna try to change something. At the same time, I knew how she was playing, and I beat her. But yeah, it's a different tournament; it's a Grand Slam." No. 19 Jasmine Paolini of Italy moved on with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over countrywoman Lucrezia Stefanini. She will next face No. 16 Sorana Cirstea of Romania, a 6-2, 7-5 winner over France's Diane Parry. No. 21 Anna Kalinskaya advanced with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 victory over China's Wang Xinyu. No. 26 Emma Navarro won an all-American matchup against Caty McNally, rallying for a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory. Navarro will meet No. 7 Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic, who crushed Britain's Katie Boulter 6-1, 6-0 in less than an hour. No. 29 Ann Li pulled out a 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-4 victory over Croatia's Donna Vekic. Meanwhile, No. 30 Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia was the lone seeded woman eliminated on Wednesday. Germany's Tatjana Maria rallied for a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over the former French Open champion in first-round action. Rain disrupted much of Wednesday's schedule, suspending play on outdoor courts while matches continued under the roofs at Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium. From a data perspective, Pegula showed incredible efficiency, needing just 56 minutes to complete the match. She only lost seven points on serve, a figure that reflects her absolute control of points. This shows the maturity in the American's game after previous failures in important rounds. Sabalenka was equally impressive, taking just 54 minutes to get past her opponent. She is showing consistent form and a relaxed mindset, which is crucial in defending her title. However, the absence of many top players due to injury or poor form has opened the door for young players like Iva Jovic or Diana Shnaider to shine. Jovic, 18, is having an impressive tournament this year. Another notable point is Ostapenko's early exit. The 2026 Roland Garros champion failed to show her best level and was stopped in the first round. This shows the fierce competitiveness of the US Open, where no match is easy. Regarding officiating discipline, the umpires had to work hard to handle rain interruptions. Moving between covered and outdoor courts created certain challenges, but the organizers handled it quite well. Overall, the fourth day of the 2026 US Open saw impressive performances from the top contenders, as well as unexpected surprises. With current form, Pegula and Sabalenka are the most formidable names for the title, but tennis always holds surprises. Who will be the one to lift the trophy at Flushing Meadows this year? Let's wait and see.