The top half of the women’s draw — led by No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka and No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula — produced a mix of dominant wins, surprise exits, and inspired breakthroughs in the second round. With both players sitting on opposite quarters of this half, they remain on track for a possible semifinal clash. Alongside their progress, home favorites, resurgent veterans, and rising teenagers all played their part in a lively Round of 64.
Pegula’s quarter: Americans shine, Hon upsets Samsonova
Top American Jessica Pegula made short work of Anna Blinkova, winning 6–1, 6–3 to move safely into round three. Former US Open champion Victoria Azarenka also impressed with a straight-sets victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
The standout upset came from qualifier Priscilla Hon, who stunned 20th seed Liudmila Samsonova 4–6, 6–3, 6–2 in a comeback win. Fellow American Ann Li also produced a big result, knocking out Olympic champion Belinda Bencic 6–3, 6–3.
Momentum for the host nation continued with Emma Navarro’s 6–2, 6–1 win over Caty McNally, while Taylor Townsend delighted home fans by ousting Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets. Not all seeds survived: Barbora Krejcikova fell to Moyuka Uchijima, and Anastasia Potapova was outclassed by rising teenager Mirra Andreeva.
Sabalenka’s quarter: Sabalenka tested, Rybakina and Raducanu roll
Aryna Sabalenka, the world’s No. 2, survived a stern first-set challenge before closing strong to defeat Polina Kudermetova 7–6(7-4), 6-2. Kudermetova pushed hard in the opener, but Sabalenka’s power and composure proved decisive as the Belarusian raced through the second set to seal victory. Close rival Elena Rybakina advanced with a straight-sets win over teenager Tereza Valentova, while Canadian Leylah Fernandez recovered from a poor start to beat Elsa Jacquemot in three.
No. 25 seed Elise Mertens dismissed Lulu Sun, and Cristina Bucsa handled Alexandra Eala in straight sets. Emma Raducanu impressed with a quick 6–2, 6–1 win, keeping her resurgence alive. Marketa Vondrousova, last year’s Wimbledon champion, avoided an upset with a 7–6, 6–2 win over Madison Kessler. The section closed with Jasmine Paolini ending 17-year-old Iva Jovic’s inspired run 6–3, 6–3.
Outlook
With Round 2 complete, the top half of the draw is wide open yet still anchored by its favorites. Pegula and Sabalenka remain on course for a high-stakes semifinal showdown, but threats abound: Rybakina is looking sharp, Azarenka and Raducanu carry pedigree, while youngsters like Mirra Andreeva and Emma Navarro continue to build momentum.