Sabalenka races into US Open third round with 53-minute win

Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the US Open third round with a 53-minute, 6-1 6-1 victory over debutant Polina Iatcenko, one of the quickest Grand Slam wins of her career, before clashing with a journalist in her post-match press conference. The two-time defending champion and world number one is seeking her first major title of 2026 after a dip in form following a strong start that included an Australian Open final and back-to-back titles at Indian Wells and Miami. She faces Kamilla Rakhimova next, with Elena Rybakina poised to take the top ranking if Sabalenka fails to retain the title. Sabalenka took issue with a reporter's question about partying, responding sharply that brand activities did not mean she was not training. Meanwhile, third seed Jessica Pegula, fourth seed Coco Gauff, Karolina Muchova, and Marta Kostyuk all won in straight sets on Wednesday.