Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka steadied after an uneven start to eliminate Russia’s Polina Kudermetova 7-6(4), 6-2 and book a place in the U.S. Open third round on Wednesday. The world No. 1 saved four early break points, tightened her return game in the second set and set up a meeting with 2021 runner-up Leylah Fernandez as she pursues a fourth Grand Slam crown. World No. 2 Iga Swiatek was pushed to three sets by Dutch qualifier Suzan Lamens but prevailed 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 to secure her sixth consecutive third-round appearance at Flushing Meadows and her 51st victory of the season. The Pole remains the only woman to have reached at least the last-32 of every major held this decade. On the men’s side, Roland Garros champion Carlos Alcaraz needed just 1 hour 36 minutes to dismiss Italy’s Mattia Bellucci 6-1, 6-0, 6-3. Eighth seed Andrey Rublev advanced in four sets over American qualifier Tristan Boyer, while French qualifier Ugo Blanchet, ranked 184th, produced the upset of the day by outlasting No. 16 seed Jakub Mensik 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(10-7). Former champion Emma Raducanu continued her encouraging run, overpowering Indonesia’s Janice Tjen 6-2, 6-1 in exactly 60 minutes—her quickest tour-level win—to record a 26th victory this year. Maria Sakkari, Anna Kalinskaya, Beatriz Haddad Maia and Marta Kostyuk also moved through to the last 32, rounding out a day that largely favoured the established contenders.