Aryna Sabalenka, who finished as the runner-up in the previous year's tournament, bounced back from a challenging start to secure a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Ekaterina Alexandrova, the 29th seed, in the third round of the US Open. The match began in the early hours of Saturday morning, setting a new record for the latest start time in the tournament's history.
Sabalenka and Alexandrova stepped onto Arthur Ashe Stadium shortly after fans had witnessed the stunning upset of defending champion Novak Djokovic by Alexei Popyrin. The two players commenced their match at 12.08 a.m., surpassing the previous latest recorded start at the U.S. Open, which occurred in 1987 when Gabriela Sabatini and Beverly Bowes began their match at midnight and concluded within 90 minutes.
