Aryna Sabalenka Dominates Iatcenko, Faces Press Questions
Aryna Sabalenka needed just 53 minutes to dismantle Polina Iatcenko on Arthur Ashe Stadium. She needed far less time to lose patience in the press room.
The world No 1, chasing a third straight US Open crown, crushed the Russian qualifier 6-1 6-1 to extend her Flushing Meadows winning streak to 16 matches. The tennis was ruthless, businesslike, exactly what you expect from a two-time defending champion.
The questions that followed were anything but routine.
Sabalenka bristles at “parties” line of questioning
Sabalenka, who has been a prominent presence on social media during the hard-court swing, was again pressed on her off-court activities after the win. The line of inquiry echoed one she had already faced after her first-round victory, and this time she cut it off sharply.
"You guys are, like, a joke," she shot back when asked if her pre-tournament schedule of appearances had affected her preparation.
"Parties, fun. Like, why would you even say that? Why would you even think about that? What kind of question is that?
"Just because I posted, like, some activities with brands, and you think that I've been partying, not training? The question, like, what is that?"
When the reporter tried to clarify — "I'm saying that there are a lot of events and things like that. I'm not saying you go to the parties" — Sabalenka cut in again.
"You literally said that. Next question."
The reporter then attempted to explain for the room: "For everyone who is unclear, I'm not suggesting that Aryna is having fun at these parties."
"Thanks, yeah," Sabalenka replied, dryly.
"I'm saying that she makes a lot of appearances and there's a lot to do and lots of events, OK?" the reporter continued.
"OK. Move on," came the response.
The tension did not ease with the next question, which asked if, now the tournament had started, she was becoming "quite serious and combative".
"Oh, yeah, I wasn't serious before that," Sabalenka replied. "Next question. Think before you say stuff."
On court, there had been no doubt about her seriousness. Sabalenka dominated from the first ball, overwhelming Iatcenko with pace and precision to book a third-round meeting with Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova on Friday, as she continues her bid to join Serena Williams and Chris Evert as three-time consecutive champions in New York.
Alcaraz turns deficit into dominance
If Sabalenka’s win was a statement of authority, Carlos Alcaraz’s was a reminder of resilience.
The defending men’s champion dropped the opening set to Portugal’s Jaime Faria but then flipped the match on its head, winning eight games in a row on his way to a 4-6 6-0 6-3 6-2 victory.
Coming back from a long layoff due to a wrist injury, Alcaraz looked briefly vulnerable early, misfiring and giving Faria enough room to swing freely. Once he steadied, the contest changed shape completely. The Spaniard tightened his patterns, raised his intensity and ran away with the second set in a blur.
"After that I just tried to be focused, tried to stay calm and I'm thinking that good things are going to happen again," Alcaraz said. He is now on a 16-match winning streak at Grand Slam tournaments, the kind of number that underlines why he arrived as one of the title favourites despite the time off.
Buse extends a family story
On the outside courts, Ignacio Buse produced one of the day’s most emotional wins.
The Peruvian, seeded 32nd, outlasted American Marcos Giron 3-6 6-3 6-3 6-7(6) 6-1 in a three-hour 48-minute battle on Court Six, sealing his maiden US Open victory with a backhand volley that drew a roar from his box and the stands.
In doing so, Buse added a fresh chapter to his family’s history in New York, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, who last won a match at the tournament in 1958.
"It's difficult to find the calm in those situations, but in the fifth set, I just tried to recover mentally," Buse said.
"It's a mental battle out there. I just stayed calm. It's a very special moment."
He played the decider like a man who had indeed found that calm, racing through the fifth set as Giron faded.
Tsitsipas, Tiafoe keep moving
Stefanos Tsitsipas also had to work. The Greek, who had stunned 10th seed Arthur Fils in the first round, was pushed hard by South Africa’s Lloyd Harris before grinding out a 6-7 (1-7) 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 win.
The match turned on a handful of points. Harris snatched the opening tie-break with authority, but Tsitsipas responded with heavier hitting and sharper serving, edging two tight middle sets and then closing in four. His reward is a third-round meeting with Czech 18th seed Jiri Lehecka, a matchup that promises clean ball-striking and very little margin for error.
Home hopes rest heavily on Frances Tiafoe, and the American 11th seed did his part, beating Japanese qualifier Rei Sakamoto 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 7-5.
Tiafoe had to dig in during the second and third sets, but his flair and first-strike tennis carried him through, keeping alive the United States’ bid to end a 23-year wait for a men’s singles champion in New York.
Sabalenka, Alcaraz, Tiafoe, Tsitsipas — the big names are moving, the storylines are sharpening. The tennis is heating up on court, and as Sabalenka showed, the temperature in the interview room is not far behind.
