Leylah Fernandez’s singles journey at the U.S. Open has come to an end. The athlete from Laval, Quebec, was defeated 6-3, 7-6 (2) by Aryna Sabalenka, the top-ranked player from Belarus, in a third-round matchup lasting one hour and 37 minutes.
Despite committing more unforced errors (18-12) and double faults (4-3) compared to Fernandez, Sabalenka garnered more winners (25-22) and aces (6-5). Sabalenka successfully defended all five break points she faced and converted one out of three break points, while Fernandez failed to capitalize on any of her five break point opportunities, particularly in the second set.
Sabalenka won 56 service points and 11 service games, whereas Fernandez secured 39 service points and nine service games. Moving forward, Sabalenka advances to the Round of 16, where she is set to compete against Cristina Bucsa of Moldova in New York City on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Fernandez will return to the court on Saturday alongside her women’s doubles partner, Venus Williams. The duo will face Eri Hozumi of Japan and Ulrikke Eikeri of Norway in their upcoming match. Fernandez’s journey to the third round included a hard-fought 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Elsa Jacquemot of France and a notable upset of the sixth-seeded pairing of Lyudmyla Kicheno and Ellen Perez in the opening round.
In a separate match, second seed Carlos Alcaraz overcame initial concerns about his knee to triumph over Luciano Darderi of Italy with a score of 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 in the third round. Alcaraz, who claimed his 80th Grand Slam win, has been on an impressive streak with a 42-2 record since April. Despite a brief mid-match medical timeout for his knee, Alcaraz remains in top form and is looking ahead to his next match against either Benjamin Bonzi or Arthur Rinderknech of France.
On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic battled physical discomfort to progress to the fourth round after defeating Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-3. Djokovic’s victory not only eliminated the last Briton in the men’s draw but also secured his 192nd hard-court victory at majors, surpassing Roger Federer. The four-time U.S. Open champion is edging closer to a record 25th Grand Slam title and remains optimistic about his performance moving forward.
