Canada’s Leylah Fernandez has been eliminated from the U.S. Open following a defeat against third seed Jessica Pegula of the United States in the third round on Friday, with a score of 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. Fernandez, a 23-year-old hailing from Laval, Que., started strongly at Arthur Ashe Stadium by securing an early break to lead 2-0 in the first set. Pegula managed to turn the match around with a crucial break, taking a 4-2 lead in the second set. Despite Fernandez’s efforts to recover by breaking back to reduce Pegula’s lead to 5-4, Pegula ultimately clinched the set. Pegula’s third break in the third set gave her a 3-1 advantage, allowing her to close out the match in two hours and 10 minutes. Fernandez, the U.S. Open runner-up in 2021, remains active in the doubles competition partnering with Indonesia’s Janice Tjen against Erin Routliffe of New Zealand and Aldila Sutjiadi of Indonesia in the upcoming round.
In a separate match, top seed Aryna Sabalenka faced challenges both from her opponent and an unusual distraction of marijuana smell but managed to secure a victory over Kamilla Rakhimova with a score of 6-3, 6-4 on Friday. Sabalenka praised her opponent’s performance, acknowledging the tough battle she faced in the second set. Looking to secure her third consecutive U.S. Open title, Sabalenka will next compete against Taylor Townsend in the Round of 16. The match also saw Serena Williams returning to the U.S. Open for the first time since 2022, teaming up with sister Venus for a doubles match against Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint. Sabalenka raised concerns during her match after detecting the smell of marijuana, urging for a more suitable environment for competing at the highest level.