Two top-10 seeds go out of the bottom half, and the Wimbledon finalists take opposite paths
The upper half of the women’s draw has lost both of its top-10 seeds, Karolina Muchova beaten 6-3, 7-5 by Emma Navarro and Elina Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 by Anna Kalinskaya, who reaches the second week here for the first time and has now done it at all four majors. Linda Noskova, who beat Muchova in the Wimbledon final, went the other way.
Anna Kalinskaya, US Open 2026 | © PsNewz
The bottom half of the women’s draw lost both its remaining top-10 seeds inside 24 hours at Flushing Meadows. Karolina Muchova, the No. 7 seed and the Wimbledon runner-up, was beaten 6-3, 7-5 by American Emma Navarro on Friday evening. Elina Svitolina, the No. 9 seed, lost 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 to Anna Kalinskaya on Saturday night.
Navarro and Kalinskaya play each other in the fourth round.
Muchova had dropped four games in her first two rounds, beating Katie Boulter 6-1, 6-0 and Sinja Kraus 6-3, 6-0. Navarro, ranked No. 27 and the No. 26 seed, took her out in straight sets for the third top-10 win of her season and her first fourth round at a major this year, having needed three sets in each of her previous two matches, against compatriot Caty McNally 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 and Frenchwoman Lois Boisson 7-6 (6), 6-7 (1), 6-3.
Kalinskaya’s win was the harder one. The No. 21 seed was a break down in the deciding set against Svitolina, who has more Grand Slam main-draw wins than any active player without a final to show for them, and recovered to win it 6-3. It is her 15th top-10 win, her fourth fourth round at a major, and her first here, which completes the set: she has now reached the second week at all four Grand Slams.
“I’m shocked,” Kalinskaya said. “It’s a very nice win for me. The match was very close. I feel until the last point it was very up and down.”
Noskova does not follow Muchova out
The two players who contested the Wimbledon final took opposite routes on the same evening. While Muchova went out, Linda Noskova, who beat her at the All England Club, came through 6-2, 6-7, 6-2 against American Ann Li to reach the fourth round at this tournament for the first time.
It was not comfortable. The Czech No. 6 seed held a match point in the second set and Li saved it, forcing a decider, before Noskova took the third for a tenth consecutive win at Grand Slam level. It is her fourth fourth round at a major.
US Open 2026, men’s singles, round 3
A. Sabalenka [1] d. K. Rakhimova: 6-3, 6-4
T. Townsend d. D. Shnaider [15]: 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-3
M. Kostyuk [11] d. E. Alexandrova [18]: 6-3, 6-2
L. Noskova [6] d. A. Li [29]: 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-2
J. Pegula [3] d. L. Fernandez [31]: 1-6, 6-4, 6-3
S. Cirstea [16] d. J. Paolini [19]: 6-3, 6-3
A. Kalinskaya [21] d. E. Svitolina [9]: 6-3, 2-6, 6-3
E. Navarro [26] d. K. Muchova [7]: 6-3, 7-5
M. Andreeva [5] vs N. Bartunkova – not played
A. Potapova [24] vs A. Anisimova [10] – not played
I. Jovic [14] vs A. Eala [17] – not played
C. Bucsa vs C. Gauff [4] – not played
I. Swiatek [8] vs M. Bouzkova [25] – not played
M. Keys [22] vs Q. Zheng (Q) – not played
N. Osaka [13] vs E. Mertens [23] – not played
Y. Starodubtseva vs E. Rybakina [2] – not played
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