Playing for a place in the US Open 2025 quarterfinals against none other than Aryna Sabalenka, the upper tier of Arthur Ashe Stadium filled far more than one would expect for such a late start. With Elena Rybakina and Marketa Vondrousova on court, all the ingredients were in place for a thrilling encounter. Both women arrived with impeccable résumés — Grand Slam champions, undefeated in sets across their first three matches in New York this year.
Rybakina Loses Her Grip in Set One
Rybakina chose to serve first, but the decision immediately backfired. She was broken at once by Vondrousova, who looked looser and more comfortable in the extended rallies. Recently recovered from shoulder surgery, the Czech consolidated the break to move ahead 2–0, but Rybakina steadied to level at 2–2. Both held comfortably until the ninth game, where nerves betrayed the Kazakh. Vondrousova seized her chance, danced through her service game to 40–15, and closed out the set 6–4 with authority.
Rybakina Fights Through the Tension
The second set foreshadowed the deciding act. Rybakina served with greater confidence, racing to 2–2 before breaking Vondrousova for 3–2. Strangely, the lead seemed to increase her tension rather than ease it, and she handed the break straight back. At 3–3, her frustration fueled aggression. Playing with reckless intensity, Rybakina chased down every ball, forced errors, and eventually broke again to avoid a tiebreak. She powered through the set 7–5, but the effort was draining. Every serve, every forehand, even her backhand retrievals required maximum energy. She soared into the corners, leapt for smashes, and poured everything into the turnaround. Coach Stefano Vukov applauded the fight, but the question lingered: had she spent too much?
Calculated Czech Calm vs. Spent Energy
Once more, Rybakina opened the set with a love hold, her energy still bursting across the court. The crowd roared for her, sensing momentum. But Vondrousova was not finished. In Rybakina’s second service game, the Czech clawed back from 30–15 to steal a crucial break — a pattern that repeated all night. Whenever Rybakina lost two points in a row on serve, the nerves set in and the door opened. Facing a 1–3 deficit, Rybakina produced another flawless love hold, but it was the last burst left in her tank.
Vukov had urged her to keep pressing with aggression, but it backfired. Too many times in the second and third sets his pupil went for winners instead of sustaining rallies. Against a seasoned fighter like Vondrousova, that gamble proved fatal once fatigue crept in. Perhaps her camp believed the Czech’s fitness would falter after two shoulder surgeries. They miscalculated.
Vondrousova, backed by a calm belief, tightened her grip with another break and closed the match 6–4, 5–7, 6–2. She won not just with physical resilience but with mental composure. The Grand Slam champion within her resurfaced under the New York lights.
What Awaits Sabalenka
For Sabalenka’s team, the lesson is clear: underestimate Marketa Vondrousova at your peril. If they analyze this match superficially, the world No. 2 could face the same fate as Rybakina. After two major surgeries, Vondrousova has risen again, stronger in spirit and steelier in mind. Only Sabalenka at her absolute best will be able to stop her in what promises to be another gripping quarterfinal.