Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka are the title favourites again at the US Open 2026 and will be in the quarter-finals and are a threat to win another Grand Slam title. They came into the tournament with huge expectations and the fact that they are now in the last eight has been more exciting at Flushing Meadows.
Sabalenka continued her bid for a third consecutive US Open title by beating American Taylor Townsend in Arthur Ashe Stadium 6-4, 6-3 in straight sets. Townsend was a tough opponent for the world number one - who had to contend with the world number one and made aggressive returns and frequent trips to the net to put pressure on the defending champion. Sabalenka was able to fight back and eventually win in straight sets.
The opening set was particularly competitive, with five breaks of serve illustrating both players' difficulty in holding their service games. Sabalenka eventually started to grow more consistent and took the set 6-4. Townsend seemed to take over the second set when she broke Sabalenka to make a 3-1 lead.
The defending champion jumped in right away, and in the final game she raised her game level at the most critical time of the match. Sabalenka won five straight games to completely change the outcome and close out the match. Again, with another Grand Slam match she was able to recover from those circumstances and stay in charge in the middle of a Grand Slam match.
After the match, Sabalenka praised Townsend’s aggressive game-playing style and ability to challenge opponents with her returning and net play. The victory sends the top seed to the next quarter-final in the US Open where she will meet sixth seed Czech player Linda Noskova.
Noskova earned her place in the last eight after a three-set battle against Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk. The Czech sixth seed won 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 in a match that featured momentum swings and pressure-filled moments.
Noskova needed six match points before finally winning the match. She had also missed two opportunities to finish the match in the second set, allowing Kostyuk to force a deciding set. The Czech player eventually regrouped and took the third set.
Noskova said she was relieved to get through the contest and described the match as emotionally demanding. Her reward is a quarter-final meeting with Sabalenka in which she will have the chance to meet one of the strongest title favourites in the tournament.
Ben Shelton, the eighth seed, also produced a great performance on the men's side to reach the quarter-finals. Shelton defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 51 minutes to earn one of his most dominating performances of the tournament.
The 23-year-old had been pushed to four sets in each of his first three matches against Tallon Griekspoor, Hubert Hurkacz and Denis Shapovalov. But Shelton dominated Tsitsipas from the outset and never let his opponent gain momentum.
Shelton is now the sixth Grand Slam quarter-finalist and second at the US Open. In 2023 he had a memorable run to the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows. His current form has also been very good and he enters the US Open on a 12-2 run since the North American hard-court swing began after Wimbledon.
Shelton's recent success includes winning his second ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal and this only enhances his confidence for the big matches in New York. His victory over Tsitsipas also continued an excellent run against elite players having defeated three consecutive players who had been in the ATP Top 10.
Shelton’s big opponent in the quarter-finals will be the defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. The Spanish star got to the quarter-finals with a straight-sets win over 20th seed American Tommy Paul in straight sets. Alcaraz has been here since April and has been winning consistently and strong since he hasn’t played competitively since April, so he has been confident in the tournament and competed well all week.
The quarter-final between Alcaraz and Shelton will be one of the most anticipated men's matches of the tournament. Alcaraz has won all three of his ATP meetings against Shelton, including the most recent one at Roland Garros last year. Shelton will need to produce another great effort if he is to end the Spaniard's title defence.
With the US Open now in full swing, the title race is on the rise. Sabalenka still has a chance at a third consecutive women’s singles title, while Alcaraz will be looking to defend his men’s title too. Shelton and Noskova will be looking to upset the defending champions and make it to the semi-finals.
The quarter-final stage of the tournament promises both some great tennis, big storylines and career-defining moments. Alcaraz and Sabalenka are in the mix as we go through the weekend and as we approach the final weekend, but things are going to get more difficult for the two players ahead.
