Elena Rybakina secured her spot in the U.S. Open semifinals and is set to claim the top position in the women’s tennis rankings. She battled past Zheng Qinwen with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory on Wednesday, ensuring her ascent to No. 1 in the WTA rankings. Rybakina, the Australian Open champion, will next face either Coco Gauff or Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka, the current top-ranked player, is set to compete against Jessica Pegula in the other semifinal match.
Regardless of the outcomes in the upcoming matches, Rybakina is poised to end Sabalenka’s 99-week reign at the top spot when the new rankings are released next Monday. Expressing her focus on winning the tournament, Rybakina acknowledged the transient nature of rankings in tennis and emphasized the need to concentrate on her game and relish the moment.
The match between Rybakina and Zheng commenced after a delayed start due to Ben Shelton’s late-night victory over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, marking the latest finish in U.S. Open history. Rybakina attributed her initial struggles to the sun and shadows in Arthur Ashe Stadium, having played later in the day in previous matches.
Zheng capitalized on Rybakina’s early challenges to secure a break and a 5-3 lead in the first set. However, Rybakina swiftly bounced back in the second set, dominating the play in just 38 minutes. Zheng, the 2024 Olympic gold medalist from China, had to battle through the qualifying rounds to make it to the main draw after a drop in rankings following elbow surgery.
Despite a valiant effort from Zheng, a crucial double fault in the third set allowed Rybakina to close out the match and advance to her first U.S. Open semifinal. Reflecting on her performance, Zheng acknowledged the missed opportunities in the match but highlighted the positive takeaways from her U.S. Open journey this year.
Rybakina’s progression to the semifinals guarantees her surpassing Sabalenka in the rankings. Alexander Zverev was slated to face Botic van de Zandschulp in the quarterfinals, with Alexander Blockx taking on Karen Khachenov in the other match. In the women’s doubles event, Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani were eliminated by Americans Robin Montgomery and Ashley Krueger in a hard-fought semifinal encounter.