NEW YORK–Naomi Osaka and Iga Swiatek advanced to the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open, showcasing the skills that once earned them both the title of the top-ranked female tennis player globally.
Osaka overcame Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-2 in their eagerly awaited clash on Monday at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Swiatek came back from a 3-1 deficit in the opening set to defeat Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-1.
“At first, I sensed that she was moving at a very quick pace,” stated Swiatek, who aims for her second U.S. Open championship and seventh Grand Slam title. “I aimed to discover my rhythm, but eventually I truly sensed that I was in my bubble and in my zone.”
Osaka, in the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam for the first time since 2021, is prepared to compete against No. 11 Karolina Muchova from the Czech Republic for a place in the semifinals. Next for Swiatek is American Amanda Anisimova in a repeat of her 6-0, 6-0 win at the Wimbledon final.
The eighth-seeded Anisimova advanced to her first U.S. Open quarterfinal by defeating the sixteenth-seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-0, 6-3.
In the men’s bracket, 25th-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime progressed by overcoming Andrey Rublev 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 in a contest at Arthur Ashe Stadium that lasted just over two hours.
Auger-Aliassime triumphed for only the second time in nine encounters with Rublev, the No. 15 seed who broke his racket after dropping a point in the second set.
“Since I took the first set, I felt I had control over the match,” stated Auger-Aliassime, who at 25 is in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament for the fourth occasion. “Strong victory given our past meetings and his talent as a player.”
Alex de Minaur from Australia and Lorenzo Musetti representing Italy progressed to the quarterfinals, each achieving victories in straight sets. De Minaur will face Auger-Aliassime next. Top-seeded Jannik Sinner defeated Alexander Bublik, the sole player besides Carlos Alcaraz to have triumphed over him this season, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1. The reigning champion will compete against Musetti, the tenth seed, on Wednesday. Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez progressed to the women’s doubles quarterfinals after defeating the 12th-seeded pair of Ekaterina Alexandrova and Zhang Shuai. Subsequently, Venus stated it was time for her sister, Serena, to arrive.
Second-seeded Carlos Alcaraz competes against Jiri Lehecka in a men’s quarterfinal match. American Taylor Fritz faces four-time U.S. Open champion Novak Djokovic in the other matchup, with the victors set to collide in the semifinals on Friday. In the women’s quarterfinals, Jessica Pegula faces Barbora Krejcikova, while top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka competes against Marketa Vondrousova. Williams and Fernandez compete against the leading-seeded duo of Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova.
