Nosková's ear-plugging trick faces Sabalenka test

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Ears plugged, eyes forward

When Linda Nosková lost two match points in the fourth round of the US Open, she did something that has become her trademark: she turned away from the court, stuck her fingers in her ears, and shut the world out.

It looked odd. It worked.

The 21-year-old Czech has been deploying this unusual mental reset since the Wimbledon women's singles final, where she claimed her maiden Grand Slam title. Facing a roaring crowd on that occasion, she followed guidance from coach Tomáš Krupa and simply blocked out the noise - literally.

A tactic refined in New York

Nosková brought the same approach to Flushing Meadows, using it during victories over Ann Li and Marta Kostyuk. The Kostyuk match tested her resolve after she dropped the second set, but a bathroom break and a mental reset carried her through.

She has been candid about the technique, admitting she is not entirely certain it improves her performance in measurable terms. What it does, she says, is create distance from the distractions - and in an arena as ferociously loud as New York, that counts for plenty.

Sabalenka awaits

Next up is a quarterfinal against top seed Aryna Sabalenka, a contest where crowd management could prove decisive. Sabalenka thrives on big-match energy; Nosková's challenge will be to neutralise it, one finger-in-ear moment at a time.