Rybakina Reaches First U.S. Open Semifinal, Secures World No. 1

No matter what happens the rest of this week, Elena Rybakina will wake up on Monday morning as the top-ranked woman in the world.

The second-seeded Rybakina ended the run of qualifier Qinwen Zheng inside Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday, coming back from a set down to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to reach the final four at the U.S. Open for the first time in her career.

As a result, she also seals the WTA’s world number one ranking. 

“It means a lot, of course, but as I was saying before, I don’t think about it so much. It’s a great achievement, and I feel like you will appreciate and think about it even more when you finish your career,” said Rybakina, who will become the 30th woman all-time to hold the world’s top spot. “Like now, [I] still need to keep going, and it’s nice whenever you’re done to say, ‘Okay, I won these tournaments, I’ve been No. 1, it’s amazing’. But right now…I want to win the titles in these tournaments, so all my thoughts are just for the next match.”

That match will come against former champion Coco Gauff, who also came back from a set down to win her quarterfinal on Wednesday. Gauff defeated French Open champion and fifth-seed Mirra Andreeva 2-6, 7-6(7), 6-2. 

“It was a slow start,” Gauff said of her performance. “I thought Mirra was playing a great level to come out, wasn’t really making a lot of mistakes, and forcing me into some errors. I think I was also giving away points sometimes, or trying to end the point early, because I felt the pressure from her. I was able to reset and somehow get out of that one.”

Gauff and Rybakina will now meet for a place in the U.S. Open final. Each is a two-time major winner, and they have split their previous two meetings on tour. The most recent was in Toronto last month, a three-set semifinal win by Rybakina.

“Elena is playing some great tennis. Congrats to her for being the new World No.1, I think that’s incredible,” Gauff said. “We played each other in Toronto. [It] didn’t go my way, so I think I just have to learn from that match. I know I’m going to have some aces hit on me and some winners hit on me, but I’m going to keep fighting and give it my all. That’s all I can do.”

Whoever comes out on top will play the winner of Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula for the U.S. Open title.