- Ostapenko beats Swiatek, ending her US Open defense.
- Sabalenka to claim World No. 1.
- Ostapenko vs. Gauff in quarterfinals with a tied history.
Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko continued her winning streak against Iga Swiatek, ending the World No. 1’s bid to defend her US Open title with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory in the fourth round.
Swiatek’s loss on Sunday means that World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka will surpass her in the rankings and become the new No. 1 after the US Open. Swiatek had held the top ranking for an impressive 75 consecutive weeks, marking the third-longest streak for a first-time No. 1 in WTA Tour history.
In her first-ever US Open quarterfinal, Ostapenko will face No. 6 Coco Gauff. The two players have previously split their two meetings, with Ostapenko defeating Gauff at the Australian Open in January.
After winning the first set comfortably, Swiatek struggled in the second set and found herself trailing 1-4 against Ostapenko. She couldn’t mount a comeback, as Ostapenko’s strong service games proved crucial, and the 20th seed secured the set to force a decisive third set.
From that point on, the match was completely dominated by Ostapenko. Swiatek fell behind early in the third set, suffering two consecutive breaks of her serve. Ostapenko played aggressively, punishing Swiatek’s serve with powerful returns and disrupting her game, ultimately sealing the victory in just under two hours.
Earlier in the day, Coco Gauff defeated 33-year-old Danish wildcard Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, becoming the first American teenager to reach consecutive quarterfinals at the US Open since Serena Williams.
