US Open Joins Wimbledon in Historic Feat as Osaka, Pegula, Sabalenka Headline Quarterfinals

While Wimbledon saw an exodus of seeded players in its early rounds, the US Open is making up for it with its blockbuster matchups in the latter half of the tournament. And none more exciting than the lineup of matches in women’s singles. Four of the top 10 seeds have made it through, along with three former Slam winners and the No. 11 seed. But what you might not know is that these players have also matched a record last set decades ago at Wimbledon.

Journalist Jose Morgado, tagging a previous tweet listing out the quarterfinal matchups, wrote another, “5 Grand Slam champions, 3 Grand Slam finalists The only unseeded players are Slam champions.” In the 2025 US Open women’s quarterfinals, Naomi Osaka, Iga Świątek, Aryna Sabalenka, Barbora Krejcikova, and Marketa Vondrousova, all five Grand Slam champions, are joined by three finalists, Jessica Pegula, Karolina Muchova, and Amanda Anisimova. Interestingly, the only unseeded players, Barbora Krejcikova and Marketa Vondrousova, both from Czechia, are Slam winners ranked outside the top 32. When was the last time that happened?

Morgado retweeted a fan’s post, writing, “saw at another network there’s only the third open era GS where this happens. the other ones were Wimbledon 1976 and 1981″. Yup, the only other time this historic feat has happened was at Wimbledon, but now the US Open has matched that long-standing record as well. In the 1976 Wimbledon women’s quarterfinals, the five Grand Slam champions were Chris Evert, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Virginia Wade, Martina Navratilova, and Sue Barker.The three Grand Slam finalists were Olga Morozova, Rosie Casals, and Kerry (Melville) Reid.

Similarly, at the 1981 Wimbledon Championships, the five Grand Slam champions in the quarterfinals were Chris Evert, Mima Jaušovec, Tracy Austin, Martina Navratilova, and Hana Mandlíková, while the three Grand Slam finalists were Pam Shriver, Virginia Ruzici, and Wendy Turnbull.

As a matter of fact, something even more unique is happening in the US Open, something that has never happened before in the event since the Open Era of tennis.

This year’s US Open continues to make history

Another piece of history that is being created at the quarterfinals of the US Open is that, for the first time in Open Era Tennis, three Czech ladies have made it to the quarterfinals of the women’s singles event. Karolína Muchová, Barbora Krejciková, and Markéta Vondroušová have each secured a spot in the last eight.

Muchová overcame compatriot Linda Nosková in a close 6–7(5), 6–4, 6–2 encounter, while Barbora Krejciková demonstrated her tenacity by rallying from a set behind to win against Emma Navarro 4–6, 6–4, 6–2. Markéta Vondroušová sent a strong message by upending the 7th seed, Jasmine Paolini, 7–6(4), 6–1. Though three is a first, the last time two players of the same nation made it to the US Open quarterfinals was 16 years ago, when Kim Clijsters and Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium made it through.

“Three of us in the quarters, it’s nice for our country,” Muchova said after her match. “We are more one by one, honestly, [but] when we see each other here in the locker room, I think we are all happy for each other and we talk. Obviously with Marketa, we are from the same club, so I know her a little better than Bara. But with both of them, nice relationship, we support each other.”

Three players from Czechia have reached the last eight of a single major once previously, at Wimbledon 2014, where eventual champion Petra Kvitova defeated her compatriot Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová. Lucie Šafářová, completing the trio, took on Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova to reach the semis, where she lost to Kvitova. However, this time all three Czech players have the opportunity to reach the semifinals. So, what’s your prediction for the quarterfinals?