Linda Noskova’s Wimbledon confidence returns at US Open as Brad Gilbert sends Aryna Sabalenka a serious warning

Linda Noskova has moved from being a quiet name in the US Open draw to a real threat to Aryna Sabalenka’s title defense. The sixth-seeded Czech reached her first US Open quarterfinal by beating Marta Kostyuk 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 on Sunday. Brad Gilbert, Coco Gauff’s former coach, also picked Noskova as a player others should be watching, adding weight to her growing run in New York at this stage too.Brad Gilbert’s Linda Noskova warning puts Aryna Sabalenka on alertGilbert made his view clear while discussing the US Open with Ajla Tomljanovic. “I was thinking about this morning; we have barely mentioned and she’s under the radar… If she wins this tournament, she’s the best player in 26. Linda Noskova,” he said, according to Yardbarker.There is a reason that prediction stands out. Noskova is the reigning Wimbledon champion, and she has already shown that she can stay in a match after things start going badly. Against Kostyuk, she led 7-5, 5-3 and had two match points, only for the Ukrainian to save both and force a third set. Noskova recovered and closed the match on her sixth match point.The win also ended a long wait for Noskova at Flushing Meadows. Before this tournament, her best US Open result was the third round. She has now beaten Katie Volynets, Lanlana Tararudee, Ann Li and Kostyuk to reach the last eight. The US Open also notes that this is her first quarterfinal at the tournament.Her Wimbledon title gives the run more meaning. Noskova beat Karolína Muchová 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 in the final after failing to convert five championship points in the second set. She then reset herself and won the deciding set. That experience matters now because her next opponent is a player who has been extremely hard to stop in New York.Her hard-court results before New York were mixed, which makes this run harder to predict. The US Open reported that her best hard-court result of the season before the tournament was the Indian Wells semifinals, while she lost in the second round in Toronto and fourth round in Cincinnati. That makes this run unexpected.Linda Noskova’s US Open path after Marta Kostyuk winAryna Sabalenka is waiting in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. The world No. 1 has not lost a set at this US Open and owns a 2-0 record against Noskova. Their latest meeting came in the Indian Wells semifinals in March, when Sabalenka won 6-3, 6-4.Still, Noskova is not entering the match without confidence. The US Open said she expects “some fast tennis” and knows Sabalenka’s serve and baseline game will be the main challenge. Noskova’s own game is built around hard hitting from the baseline, so this could come down to who handles the big points better.If Noskova beats Sabalenka, the semifinal would be against the winner of Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro. On the other side of the draw, Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and Naomi Osaka are among the players who could still reach the final.For now, though, Noskova only has to deal with Sabalenka. She has already survived one difficult three-set battle. The bigger question is whether she can repeat that level against the defending champion.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.