The quarterfinals begin on Tuesday in New York.
We are down to eight men and eight women in the singles draws, with some mouth-watering quarterfinals, and potential semifinals and finals, ahead of us. The eight women remaining are all Major finalists, which as per OptaAce, is the first time that has happened at a Major since 1981.
And will we see a third consecutive Major final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz? Based on their form through four rounds, that seems rather likely.
Novak Djokovic would like to have a say in that matter, but he has been physically compromised throughout this fortnight, advancing despite dealing with multiple aches and pains. On Tuesday, he’s plays last year’s runner-up, Taylor Fritz. While Djokovic is a perfect 10-0 against Fritz, this will be the biggest test of Novak’s tournament to date.
The winner will take on either Alcaraz or Jiri Lehecka, who will do battle earlier in the day.
Tuesday’s WTA singles quarterfinals see last year’s finalists go up against in-form Major champions from Czechia. In the day session, Jessica Pegula plays Barbora Krejcikova, while in the night session, Aryna Sabalenka plays Marketa Vondrousova.
Plus, all four women’s doubles quarterfinals will be played on Day 10, which feature six of the top eight seeds, as well the most popular team of the tournament: Leylah Fernandez and Venus Williams.
Throughout the tournament, this preview will analyze the day’s four most prominent matches, while highlighting the other notable matches on the schedule. Tuesday’s play gets underway at 11:00am local time.
Jessica Pegula (4) vs. Barbora Krejcikova – 11:30am on Arthur Ashe Stadium
On Sunday, Krejcikova took part in the most dramatic match of the tournament, saving an extraordinary eight match points during the second set. That set was eventually decided by a score of 15-13 in the tiebreak, with Krejcikova winning the third 6-3, and effectively breaking the heart of Taylor Townsend and the American crowd. Barbora exuded nerves of steel, playing aggressively and even hitting a few lines on match points. This is her second singles quarterfinal in New York, and she is 2-3 in this round of Majors, though she’s 0-3 in this round of hard court Majors.
Pegula arrived in New York as a defending finalist with little form, having lost four of her last six matches, dating back to a first round exit at the last Major. But she’s clinically advanced through four rounds without the loss of a set. However, she’s also yet to face a top 50 player, so this quarterfinal will be a huge step up in competition. And prior to her breakthrough in this round 52 weeks ago, Jess was 0-6 in Slam quarterfinals.
Krejcikova leads their head-to-head 2-1, with all three matches taking place within the last three seasons on this surface. Jess took their only meeting at a Major, back at the 2023 Australian Open, while Barbora has taken their last two. The female Czech trio of Krejcikova, Vondrousova, and Muchova seem to be inspiring each other, and they are three of the WTA’s most dangerous players when they are healthy and confident. With a better serve than Pegula, and with more variety in her game, I like Krejcikova’s chances of reaching her first US Open semifinal, buoyed by her miraculous escape in the last round.
Jiri Lehecka (20) vs. Carlos Alcaraz (2) – Second on Arthur Ashe Stadium
This is the first time in the career of Alcaraz that he has reached a Major quarterfinal without dropping a set. As successful as he’s been, Carlitos often suffers from lapses in form during the early rounds, something he’s avoided this fortnight. Since the beginning of May, Alcaraz has gone 34-1, with the only loss coming in the Wimbledon final at the hands of Jannik Sinner. The 22-year-old from Spain is 8-4 in Slam quarterfinals, and has claimed eight of his last 10.
For Lehecka, this is only a second Slam quarterfinal, after first achieving this feat nearly three years ago in Melbourne. A back injury derailed the Czech’s career a year ago, but he’s 34-17 during 2025. Jiri has lost three sets through four rounds, yet like Pegula, he’s also yet to face a top 50 player. Lehecka’s power makes him a formidable foe when he’s serving well, as does his aggressive forehand.
This is a rematch from the final of Queen’s Club two months ago, when Alcaraz defeated Lehecka in three sets. They also played two years prior at the same event, with Alcaraz prevailing 6-2, 6-3. But their only meeting on a hard court when to Lehecka, which was a three-setter this past February in Doha. Yet in their first best-of-five encounter, I strongly favor Carlitos to reach his third US Open semifinal. His explosiveness, endurance, and shot-making abilities will be a lot for Jiri to overcome in this format.
Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs. Marketa Vondrousova – Not Before 7:00pm on Arthur Ashe Stadium
Sabalenka has won all eight sets she’s contested on her way to her 12th consecutive Major quarterfinal in as many appearances. She now vies for her fifth consecutive US Open semifinal, and her eighth consecutive semifinal at hard court Majors. However, we’ve seen Aryna lose three heartbreaking matches this season at Slams, which certainly has formed some scar tissue for the defending champion.
A year ago, Vondrousova missed this tournament due to shoulder surgery, and also missed several months of 2025 due to ongoing shoulder issues. But the 2023 Wimbledon champ is back to good health and fine form, with three straight wins over seeded players. After taking out 32nd-seeded McCartney Kessler, she upset Jasmine Paolini, then defeated fellow Wimbledon champ Elena Rybakina. Marketa played extremely well against an in-form Elena, striking almost twice as many winners as unforced errors.
These players have met nine times within the past nine seasons, with Sabalenka holding a narrow 5-4 lead overall, and a 4-2 edge on hard courts. And the surface may be the crucial factor here, as Aryna is easily the best hard court player in the world, and she’s won her last four matches against Marketa on this surface. So while a Vondrousova upset doesn’t feel out of the question, it would still be a surprise. Sabalenka should be able to power her way to another US Open semifinal.
Novak Djokovic (7) vs. Taylor Fritz (4) – Last on Arthur Ashe Stadium
Out of Djokovic’s 10 wins over Fritz, the American has only managed to procure three out of 26 sets. But this is a more vulnerable version of Novak, who is not as healthy or as match-tough as before. And Taylor will enjoy plenty of crowd support from the night session crowd.
Since the start of the grass court season, Fritz is 25-5, having collected two titles, as well as advancing to his second Major semifinal at The Championships. He’s lost just two sets to this stage, and soundly defeated a red-hot Tomas Machac in straights on Sunday. Taylor was beaten in his first four Slam quarterfinals, but has now been victorious in his last two.
Djokovic is 50-10 in Slam quarterfinals, and has won his last nine despite being the equivalent of a tennis octogenarian. He’s claimed all three Slam quarterfinals he’s played this year in four sets. And even at less than 100%, we’ve often seen a hobbled Novak limp his way to victory, especially when a head-to-head is this much in his favor. I’m curious to see how the 2025 version of Taylor measures up to the 2025 version of Novak, but Djokovic remains the favorite.
Other Notable Matches on Tuesday:
Asia Muhammad and Demi Schuurs (7) vs. Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini (2) – Errani and Paolini are the reigning Roland Garros champions, and Errani already successfully defended her US Open mixed doubles title with Andrea Vavasori. Muhammad and Schuurs have won two titles this year: Indian Wells and Queen’s Club.
Timea Babos and Luisa Stefani (11) vs. Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe (3) – Dabrowski and Routliffe won this event two years ago. Earlier this season in Stuttgart on clay, they defeated Babos and Stefani in a deciding-set tiebreak.
Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend (1) vs. Leylah Fernandez and Venus Williams (WC) – This is a hugely-anticipated women’s doubles quarterfinal, between the top seeds and the feel-good story of the tournament. Both teams are yet to drop a set. Siniakova and Townsend have won two of the last five Majors.
Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens (4) vs. Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider (5) – Kudermetova and Mertens won Wimbledon two months ago, while Andreeva and Shnaider won a silver medal last summer in Paris.
Tuesday’s full Order of Play is here.
