Watch: Sabalenka's Epic US Open 2025 Comeback Against Fernandez Sets Social Media Ablaze

Defending US Open champion and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will headline Friday’s night session in Flushing Meadows when she renews her rivalry with Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, the opponent who stunned her in a three-set semifinal classic four years ago. Sabalenka arrives in the third round carrying a 10-match winning streak in New York and an eye-popping 19-1 record in tiebreaks this season, a statistic she padded while beating Russia’s Polina Kudermetova 7-6(4), 6-2 on Wednesday night. “I feel the energy from the crowd every time I step on Arthur Ashe or Armstrong,” Sabalenka said after that win. “They push me to find another gear, even when the start is not perfect.” That gear has been more than enough so far. The Belarusian opened her title defence with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Switzerland’s Rebeka Masarova, then crushed 25 winners to dismiss Kudermetova in 88 minutes. Crucially, her first-serve percentage has hovered near 70 percent through two rounds—a major improvement on the inconsistency that plagued her early in the summer hard-court swing. Friday’s opponent, however, has a history of disrupting Sabalenka’s rhythm. Fernandez, seeded 31st, owns the lone tour-level victory against her in New York, a 2021 upset that launched the then-teenager into her first Grand Slam final. The Canadian lefthander says she’s ready for another slug-fest: “I know Aryna will come out swinging. I have to match her aggression and trust my legs,” Fernandez told reporters after outlasting Elina Svitolina in round two. Key tactical battlegrounds • Return games: Sabalenka is winning 48 % of return points so far this fortnight. If that pressure forces Fernandez’s first-serve percentage below 60 %, the world No. 1’s baseline firepower should dictate rallies. • Backhand exchanges: Fernandez’s flat cross-court backhand neutralised Sabalenka in 2021. The Belarusian has tightened that wing, hitting just 14 backhand errors in two matches, down from 27 at the same stage last year. • Mental edge: Sabalenka has rallied from a set down seven times in 2025, while Fernandez has unlocked a tour-leading 13 three-set wins. Expect momentum swings under the Armstrong Stadium lights. A win would keep Sabalenka on course to become the first woman since Serena Williams (2012-14) to successfully defend the US Open crown. It would also extend her lead in the year-end No. 1 race, where she currently holds a 1,100-point cushion over Iga Świątek. Beyond the showdown, Sabalenka’s off-court profile continues to grow. The 27-year-old recently inked an endorsement with Oakberry Açaí, a brand founded by boyfriend Georgios Frangulis, amplifying her social-media reach to more than five million followers. Tournament organizers have leaned into that star power, scheduling her in prime time for the third consecutive match. US Open day-five order of play places Sabalenka-Fernandez as the marquee women’s clash, immediately following Novak Djokovic vs. Cameron Norrie. If the top seed advances, she will face either No. 20 seed Elina Avanesyan or fast-rising American Robin Montgomery in the round of 16—two opponents she has never played at tour level. For now, all eyes remain on the rematch that once rocked Ashe Stadium. Should Sabalenka settle the 2021 score, her march toward back-to-back crowns will move from hopeful narrative to looming reality—and the New York night could belong to her once again.