New York, Aug. 28 -- Reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka defeated Polina Kudermetova 7-6 (4), 6-2 in the women's singles second round, while Spain's Carlos Alcaraz overpowered Mattia Bellucci of Italy 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 to sail into the men's singles third round of the 2025 US Open.
World No. 1 Sabalenka started slow in the face of Kudermetova, similar to her first-round match against Rebeka Masarova of Switzerland. After a hard-fought win in the first set tie-breaker, the three-time Grand Slam winner found her rhythm in the second set to clinch victory on Wednesday.
"The first set I was super tight. It was more about serve and the first shot. I was glad I was able to handle the pressure and give it back to [Kudermetova]. In the second set, I fe...