Aryna Sabalenka said victory at last year’s US Open is not the driving force behind her 2025 challenge after the defending champion breezed past Cristina Bucsa to reach the quarter-finals in New York.
The 27-year-old Belarusian did not face a break point as she cruised to a 6-1 6-4 win in an hour and 13 minutes against the unseeded Spaniard on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Sabalenka won her first US Open singles title last September – her third Grand Slam singles triumph overall – when she beat American Jessica Pegula in the final.
However, she has not won a major title this year, losing in the finals of both the 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 when asked about the pressure of defending her title at Flushing Meadows.
“I don’t care about what happened last year. I mean, of course it’s a big achievement, and I’m super happy I was able to achieve it once, but the goal is to do it many more times.
“My mentality is going out there every time with the best fighting spirit and just fight for my dream.”
Sabalenka is aiming to become the first player to defend the US Open women’s singles title since Serena Williams in 2014.
The top seed, who has yet to drop a set, will face 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the last eight after the Czech beat Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina 6-4 5-7 6-2 later on Sunday evening.
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