Aryna Sabalenka Dominates Iatcenko in US Open Defense

Aryna Sabalenka did not come to Arthur Ashe Stadium to play nice.

She needed just 53 minutes to dismantle Russian qualifier Polina Iatcenko 6-1 6-1, a ruthless defence of her US Open crown that underlined why she is world No 1 and chasing a third straight title in New York.

The real fight started once the tennis stopped.

Sabalenka bristles at “parties” line of questioning

Sabalenka, already irritated by similar queries after her first-round win, was again pressed in her press conference about her off-court schedule and pre-tournament activities.

The line of questioning went straight to the heart of her social-media presence and brand work. She snapped.

“You guys are, like, a joke,” she shot back when asked whether “parties” and “fun” had cut into her preparation for the Grand Slam.

“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 attempted 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 him off: “You literally said that. Next question.”

The exchange grew more uncomfortable as the reporter tried to walk it back.

“For everyone who is unclear, I'm not suggesting that Aryna is having fun at these parties,” he said.

“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?”

“OK. Move on,” came the answer, the tension still hanging in the room.

Another question followed about whether, now that the tournament had started, she was becoming “quite serious and combative”.

“Oh, yeah, I wasn't serious before that,” she replied. “Next question. Think before you say stuff.”

On court, there had been no doubt about her seriousness. Sabalenka, chasing a 17th consecutive win at Flushing Meadows and looking to join Serena Williams and Chris Evert as a three-peat champion in New York, barely gave Iatcenko room to breathe.

Next up is Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova on Friday. The tennis will keep coming. So, it seems, will the questions.

Alcaraz turns early scare into a surge

On the men’s side, Carlos Alcaraz flirted with trouble, then slammed the door.

The defending champion dropped the opening set to Portugal’s Jaime Faria but then tore through the match 4-6 6-0 6-3 6-2, his comeback from a long wrist layoff gathering more weight with every game.

From 4-6 down, Alcaraz reeled off eight straight games, suffocating Faria with pace and variety. Once he reset, the contest stopped feeling like an upset alert and started to look like a familiar story: Alcaraz tightening the screws in a Grand Slam.

“After that I just tried to be focused, tried to stay calm and I'm thinking that good things are going to happen again,” he said. He is now riding a 16-match winning streak at majors.

The scoreboard, and the body language, suggested that belief is well placed.

Buse extends a family legacy

On Court Six, another story quietly stitched itself into US Open history.

Peru’s Ignacio Buse, the 32nd seed, needed five sets and three hours 48 minutes to earn his first main-draw win at the tournament, beating American Marcos Giron 3-6 6-3 6-3 6-7(6) 6-1.

The victory carried extra weight. Buse followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, who last won a match at the US Open in 1958, adding a fresh chapter to a family connection that stretches back nearly seven decades.

He finished the job with a backhand volley, triggering a roar from his box and pockets of fans in the stands.

“It's difficult to find the calm in those situations, but in the fifth set, I just tried to recover mentally,” he said. “It's a mental battle out there. I just stayed calm. It's a very special moment.”

Tsitsipas and Tiafoe grind their way through

Stefanos Tsitsipas had to claw as well. The Greek, who stunned 10th seed Arthur Fils in the first round, found himself a set down against South Africa’s Lloyd Harris before turning the match around 6-7 (1-7) 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-4.

He edged the key points in the third-set tiebreak, then rode that momentum home. Next up is Czech 18th seed Jiri Lehecka, a meeting that promises clean ball-striking and very little margin for error.

American 11th seed Frances Tiafoe did his part to keep home hopes alive, beating Japanese qualifier Rei Sakamoto 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 7-5.

It was not a procession, but it was controlled. Tiafoe managed the tiebreaks, handled the tension and walked off with straight sets and the burden of a statistic: the United States has waited 23 years for a men’s champion in New York.

Sabalenka is hunting history. Alcaraz is defending it. Tiafoe is chasing it.

The next few nights in Flushing Meadows will decide who gets to write it.