'i Want To Win Many More Times' - Sabalenka Races Through

Aryna Sabalenka said triumph astatine past year's US Open is not nan driving unit down her 2025 situation aft nan defending champion breezed past Cristina Bucsa to scope nan quarter-finals successful New York.

The 27-year-old Belarusian did not look a break constituent arsenic she cruised to a 6-1 6-4 triumph successful an hr and 13 minutes against nan unseeded Spaniard connected Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Sabalenka won her first US Open singles title past September - her 3rd Grand Slam singles triumph wide - erstwhile she hit American Jessica Pegula successful nan final.

However, she has not won a awesome title this year, losing successful nan finals of some nan Australian Open and Roland Garros - to Madison Keys and Coco Gauff respectively.

"I'm not playing not to lose, I play to win," Sabalenka said erstwhile asked astir nan unit of defending her title astatine Flushing Meadows.

"I don't attraction astir what happened past year. I mean, of people it's a large achievement, and I'm ace happy I was capable to execute it once, but nan extremity is to do it galore much times.

"My mentality is going retired location each clip pinch nan champion fighting tone and conscionable conflict for my dream."

Sabalenka is aiming to go nan first subordinate to take sides nan US Open women's singles title since Serena Williams successful 2014.

The apical seed, who has yet to driblet a set, will look 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova successful nan past 8 aft nan Czech hit Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina 6-4 5-7 6-2 later connected Sunday evening.

Sabalenka collapsed Bucsa, classed 95th successful nan world, doubly en way to sealing nan first group successful 27 minutes.

Busca held patient successful her opening 2 work games of nan 2nd set, but Sabalenka secured a decisive break successful nan 5th crippled and went connected to adjacent retired nan triumph which ensures she will stay world number 1 travel nan extremity of nan tournament.

"I'm ace happy pinch nan win. I consciousness pinch each crippled I play, I play amended and amended and better," nan three-time awesome victor added.

Later, Vondrousova sealed her spot successful a Grand Slam quarter-final for nan first clip since past year's French Open erstwhile she hit chap Wimbledon victor Rybakina.

Since her triumph astatine nan All England Club successful 2023, Czech left-hander Vondrousova has struggled pinch injuries and missed past year's US Open aft undergoing enarthrosis room connected nan eve of nan tournament.

But nan 26-year-old looked backmost to her champion arsenic she out-served Rybakina, who leads nan ace count and first-serve percent connected nan WTA Tour this season.

Firing down 13 aces to her ninth-seeded opponent's five, Vondrousova doubly collapsed Rybakina's service successful nan deciding group to propulsion disconnected different good win, having knocked retired seventh seed Jasmine Paolini successful nan past round.

"After everything I person been through, it is astonishing to beryllium opinionated present again," Vondrousova, classed 60th, said.

"It's a agelong measurement to go, but it's been an astonishing week truthful far. I'm incredibly happy to beryllium here."