Elena Rybakina had almost everything working against her Thursday night. She was playing an American star in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium, had lost the opening set, and was facing the pressure of reaching her first US Open final.
None of it appeared to shake her.
The newly crowned world No. 1 rallied past Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the championship match in New York. Rybakina will now face Aryna Sabalenka, setting up another meeting between two of the biggest names in women’s tennis.
Rybakina refuses to let the crowd change her game
Gauff had the home crowd firmly behind her from the opening point. The atmosphere inside Arthur Ashe was loud, particularly when the American began taking control of the match.
Rybakina admitted afterward that she knew most of the fans wanted Gauff to win. Rather than treating the reaction as a distraction, she tried to accept it as part of the experience.
The Kazakh star said she enjoyed the atmosphere, even though the majority of the crowd supported her opponent. Her focus, she explained, was simply to stay locked into her own game and avoid listening too closely to what was happening around her.
Gauff took the first set 6-3 and looked comfortable early. Rybakina, however, gradually found her range and began putting more pressure on Gauff with her serve and powerful baseline shots.
Gauff starts fast, but Rybakina changes the match
The opening set belonged to Gauff. The fourth seed used her speed and consistency to extend rallies and force Rybakina into uncomfortable positions. Rybakina struggled to find the same level of control she had shown earlier in the tournament, while Gauff capitalized on the opportunities in front of her.
Rybakina raised her level in the second set and began dictating more points with her first serve and aggressive groundstrokes. Instead of allowing Gauff to control rallies from the baseline, she pushed forward and looked to finish points earlier.
Rybakina eventually created separation and closed out the second set 6-4. The comeback had officially begun.
The new No. 1 keeps her composure
The deciding set became a test of nerves as much as tennis.
Rybakina’s calm demeanor has long been a defining feature of her game, and Gauff specifically pointed to it after the match. The American said Rybakina rarely shows her feelings, even though she is experiencing the same nerves and pressure as everyone else.
That ability to stay unreadable can be valuable in matches where momentum shifts quickly.
Rybakina appeared to benefit from it again in the third set. She kept attacking, protected her serve and waited for opportunities instead of forcing the match.
She moved ahead and appeared ready to serve out the semifinal, only for Gauff to break back and give the home crowd another reason to believe a comeback was possible.
Rybakina responded immediately.
She produced aggressive tennis in the final game and closed out the match 6-4, completing a comeback that lasted two hours and eight minutes.
Rybakina is now one win from another major title
The victory sends Rybakina into her first US Open final.
It also gives her another chance to add to a major résumé that already includes the 2022 Wimbledon title and the 2026 Australian Open championship. Her Australian Open victory came earlier this year against Sabalenka, meaning the final in New York will bring another chapter in their growing rivalry.
Rybakina’s rise has also changed the ranking picture.
She secured the WTA world No. 1 ranking by reaching the US Open semifinals after defeating Zheng Qinwen in the quarterfinals. Regardless of what happens in Saturday’s final, Rybakina will leave the tournament at the top of the rankings.
For a player who has often been overshadowed by bigger personalities on tour, reaching the top while making her first US Open final is a significant combination of achievements.
Sabalenka is waiting on the other side
Rybakina’s final opponent will be familiar.
Sabalenka reached the championship match by defeating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2. The victory sent her to a fourth consecutive US Open final and kept alive her attempt to win the tournament for a third straight year.
Sabalenka currently leads the overall head-to-head rivalry 10-7, although Rybakina has enjoyed plenty of success in their biggest matches. She defeated Sabalenka in the Australian Open final earlier this year, adding another layer to Saturday’s showdown.
The stakes go beyond the trophy.
Sabalenka is trying to complete a rare three-peat in New York, while Rybakina is looking for her first US Open championship. Rybakina has already taken the No. 1 ranking from Sabalenka, but Sabalenka can still finish the tournament with the trophy in her hands.
Rybakina knows she cannot afford a slow start
Rybakina has already shown that she can recover from a difficult beginning. Against Gauff, she dropped the opening set before finding another level.
She may not have the luxury of doing that again against Sabalenka.
The Belarusian has one of the most powerful games in women’s tennis and produced a commanding performance against Pegula in the semifinals. Sabalenka’s serve and aggressive baseline play can put an opponent under pressure from the first few games.
Rybakina acknowledged the challenge ahead, describing Sabalenka as an aggressive player with a big serve and saying she will need to bring her best tennis to the final.
Their contrasting styles should make for an intriguing matchup. Rybakina is known for her powerful serve and clean ball-striking, while Sabalenka brings relentless aggression and intensity.
Both players also know what it feels like to win a Grand Slam final against the other.
Gauff’s run ends one step from the final
For Gauff, the loss ends another deep US Open run.
The American showed why she remains one of the leading players in the sport by taking the first set from Rybakina and putting the new No. 1 under significant pressure.
She ultimately could not maintain that advantage as Rybakina found her rhythm.
Gauff’s defeat also means there will be no American woman in the 2026 US Open singles final. She and Pegula both lost in the semifinals, marking the first year since 2006 that no American woman reached the final of a Grand Slam played in New York.
Still, Gauff’s performance gives her another valuable run at a major and another close look at what separates her from the final stage.
For Rybakina, the lesson is different.
She has already shown that she can handle a hostile crowd, recover from a slow start, and close out a match when the pressure reaches its highest point.
Now she gets the biggest test of all.
TL;DR
- Elena Rybakina rallied past Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the US Open semifinals.
- Rybakina reached her first US Open final after overcoming the home crowd and a first-set deficit.
- She has secured the WTA world No. 1 ranking regardless of Saturday’s final result.
- Aryna Sabalenka defeated Jessica Pegula to reach her fourth straight US Open final.
- Rybakina and Sabalenka will meet for the US Open title in a rematch of their 2026 Australian Open final.
- Sabalenka is chasing a third consecutive US Open championship.
- Gauff’s semifinal loss means no American woman will play in this year’s US Open final.
Osaka faces a long road back
Osaka stepped away from the sport after welcoming her daughter in 2023, during her prime. Returning to elite competition after motherhood is never simple, physically or mentally, for any professional athlete.
She has shown promising flashes of her old form since returning to the tour on a full-time basis. Full consistency, though, has remained just out of reach against the very best players on tour.
This particular US Open run showed both sides of her ongoing comeback story quite clearly to watching fans. Moments of real quality mixed with lapses that a fully sharp Osaka would likely have avoided entirely.
What this means going forward
This result reshapes the conversation at the very top of women’s tennis heading into the final week of play. Rybakina looks like a genuine title contender with real momentum behind her heading into the quarterfinals.
For Osaka, the loss is a gentle reminder that the path back to the top of the sport takes real patience. Her talent remains obvious to everyone watching, but today’s tour depth makes matches difficult.
Tennis fans should keep watching closely as this tournament progresses toward its final rounds in the coming days. Her next match is on 10 Sep against Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva.
Little-known fact: In 2023, Elena Rybakina donated roughly 35 million tenge (about $78,000) to teenage female players in Kazakhstan, expanding the program herself after reading their personal letters.
TL;DR
- Elena Rybakina defeated Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-4 in 66 minutes to reach the US Open quarterfinals.
- Rybakina then defeated Qinwen Zheng 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to reach her first US Open semifinal.
- Osaka remains a two-time US Open champion and four-time Grand Slam winner after her fourth-round exit.
- Osaka continues her comeback after maternity leave and remains a former world No. 1.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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