“It’s typical match that I will fall there after big victories because I always been telling myself, no, you can’t fall here. You need to keep yourself up. You need to keep fighting. I’m really happy that I have been through all the matches.

“For me, I work a lot on my mental side to keep myself strong, to keep myself hungry to play because I love to play here in New York.

“Also, I’ve been set higher target.”

Few targets get higher than Sabalenka, who has established herself as the best performer at Grand Slam level in the women’s game.

This marks her eighth consecutive appearance in a major quarterfinal, something no woman has managed since Serena Williams in 2017.

No woman this decade has reached more Slam quarterfinals than Sabalenka, who since 2020 has also won the most Slam matches, and attained the best winning percentage (90.5%) in Grand Slam play, of all women.

MORE: Will Aryna Sabalenka prove unstoppable at US Open 2024?

Despite success on all surfaces, she peaks on hard courts, demonstrated by her ongoing success at both the Australian and US Opens.

She has won 20 of her past 23 matches in New York – and 25 overall, more than any other Slam – and is eyeing a fourth consecutive US Open semifinal.