Elena Rybakina Reaches US Open Semi, Set for Coco Gauff

Elena Rybakina defeated Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 on Wednesday to reach the US Open semi-finals, where she will face former champion Coco Gauff. The victory also guarantees that Rybakina will become world No. 1 for the first time.

The 27-year-old, who entered the tournament ranked second in the world, was assured of taking over the top ranking from Aryna Sabalenka simply by reaching the last four. Rybakina will become the first Kazakh player to hold the No. 1 position and the 30th woman to reach the summit of the rankings.

Her next challenge is a meeting with Gauff for a place in the title match. Gauff won her first major title at Flushing Meadows in 2023 and advanced after a dramatic three-set win over Mirra Andreeva.

Rybakina rallies past Zheng in quarter-final

Zheng made a strong start to the quarter-final and took the opening set 6-3, but Rybakina responded emphatically in the second, conceding only one game to level the match. Rybakina then closed out the deciding set 6-4 to end Zheng’s run and book her place in the semi-finals.

For Rybakina, the result combines a chance to add another Grand Slam title with a major career milestone. She is chasing her third major championship after winning the Australian Open in January, four years after her Wimbledon triumph.

“It’s just a number right now,” Rybakina said of becoming No. 1. “It’s a different achievement … but mostly you think about the titles in the end of the day.”

She added that the significance of the ranking may become clearer later in her career, saying: “I feel like you will appreciate and think about it even more when you finish your career. Like now, you still need to keep on going.”

Zheng’s defeat ended an impressive New York campaign. The reigning Olympic champion, 23, arrived ranked 121 after missing about eight months following elbow surgery. She came through qualifying and won seven matches, including comeback victories over Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys.

The quarter-final represented Zheng’s bid to reach her first US Open semi-final. Her only previous Grand Slam final came at the 2024 Australian Open. Despite the loss, Zheng said she would take positives from her tournament run.

“I got lot of chances in the third set, but I didn’t took it,” Zheng said. “That was a bit pity for me to lose this match, but obviously I could take positive things from US Open this year.”

Gauff survives Andreeva test to set semi-final

Gauff reached the semi-finals by saving two match points in a 2-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-2 victory over 19-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva, the fifth-ranked reigning French Open champion. After struggling early, Gauff survived a tense tie-break before taking control in the deciding set.

Gauff said she drew inspiration from Frances Tiafoe’s five-set comeback win over fellow American Alex Michelsen as she tried to recover from her difficult start. “I just had to reset,” Gauff said. “Honestly, I was thinking about Frances Tiafoe and how he came back. I was just trying to leave the court without regrets.”

The American acknowledged the scale of the semi-final awaiting her. “Elena is the new world number one,” Gauff said. “It’s going to be a tough match. These are the moments you live for.”

Rybakina and Gauff will now play for a place in the US Open final, with Rybakina carrying the momentum of a quarter-final comeback and the certainty that a new No. 1 will be confirmed after the tournament.