Aryna Sabalenka has already achieved one of her goals at the US Open, and now she has the opportunity to realize another dream.
Aryna Sabalenka, the second-seeded Belarusian tennis player, will become the world number one for the first time next week after Iga Swiatek's loss to Jelena Ostapenko on Sunday.
The 25-year-old then moved into the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows after a 6-1 6-3 victory over Daria Kasatkina.
“I had no doubt that Iga was going to make it to the final. I was sad that she lost, but becoming number one means a lot to me,” said Sabalenka.
“I’ve been pushing myself a lot this year to make this goal and I still can’t believe it, but I didn’t want to be distracted for tonight.”
Swiatek’s defeat also means there will be a new women’s champion this year, with Sabalenka the hot favourite.
She will face China’s Qinwen Zheng, who ended the hopes of last year’s runner-up Ons Jabeur, in the last eight.
Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova moved a step closer to back-to-back grand slam titles by beating Peyton Stearns.
The 24-year-old Czech, seeded ninth here two months after becoming the first unseeded woman to win at SW19, fell a set behind to Stearns.
But the American youngster, whose powerful forehand accounted for Britain’s Katie Boulter in round three, won just five more games as Vondrousova triumphed 6-7 (3) 6-3 6-2.
“She was playing great from the beginning and I just tried to stay in the game,” said Vondrousova.
“She is a very dangerous player, she has a great future ahead of her and it was a very tough match.
“I’m very happy. I didn’t expect this, after Wimbledon there was a lot of pressure but I’m feeling good and we’ll see what happens next.”
What happens next is a meeting with Madison Keys, a former Flushing Meadows runner-up who sprung a mild surprise against fellow American Jessica Pegula, the third seed.
Keys, seeded 17, is emulating the form which swept her to the final in 2017 and sunk the highly-fancied Pegula 6-1 6-3.
The 28-year-old said: “It’s always tough having to play a friend but we’ve been doing it all our lives. On court it’s all business but then we go back to being friends.”
