US Open 2026: Aryna Sabalenka advances to third round with straight-sets victory over qualifier Polina Iatcenko

Aryna Siarhiejeŭna Sabalenka continued her title defence at the US Open 2026 with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 victory over qualifier Polina Vyacheslavovna Iatcenko in the second round at Flushing Meadows in New York on Wednesday.

The World No 1 needed just 53 minutes to complete the victory on Arthur Ashe Stadium, dropping only two games against the World No 160. The result sent Sabalenka into the third round of the US Open for the fourth consecutive year.

Sabalenka, the top seed and two-time defending champion, established control from the opening games. She quickly opened up a double-break advantage in the first set, with both breaks coming after she attacked Iatcenko's second serve and finished the points with winners.

"Happy with the level I played today, happy with the focus," Sabalenka said during her on-court interview after the match.

The Belarusian continued to dictate play with her powerful groundstrokes and closed out the opening set 6-1. She maintained the same level of control in the second set, again breaking Iatcenko twice before completing another 6-1 set to seal a comprehensive victory.

Arya Sabalenka produces dominant numbers

Sabalenka finished the match with 24 winners, compared with just three from Iatcenko. She also won 68.3% of the total points played, taking 56 of the 82 points contested.

The top seed converted six of eight break-point opportunities and won 70.3% of the points on her opponent's serve. Iatcenko, meanwhile, converted her only break-point opportunity but was unable to create another opening against Sabalenka's serve.

Sabalenka had opened her campaign with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Camila Osorio on 31 August. That match lasted an hour and 27 minutes, making her second-round contest against Iatcenko significantly shorter.

Iatcenko entered the main draw through qualifying and had already secured her first Grand Slam main-draw victory by defeating Renata Zarazúa Ruckstuhl in the opening round. She had also beaten Andrea Lázaro Garcia and former top 50 player Lucia Bronzetti during qualifying to reach the main draw.

The 23-year-old Russian was playing in only her second Grand Slam main-draw match when she faced Sabalenka. Her run in New York, therefore, ended in the second round after four victories across qualifying and the main draw.

Sabalenka will next face Kamilla Stanislavovna Rakhimova in the third round on Friday. Rakhimova reached the last 32 after defeating Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-3, 6-0 in the second round. Sabalenka leads their previous meetings 3-0.