Elena Rybakina is set to ascend to the world number one ranking on Monday after securing a hard-fought victory over China’s Zheng Qinwen at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday. Despite a shaky start, Rybakina overcame early errors to dismantle Zheng’s defenses, ultimately prevailing 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. Reflecting on the milestone, Rybakina admitted, “It’s tough to find words. It wasn’t maybe the highest level but I’m glad I pushed through.” She will officially dethrone Aryna Sabalenka in the upcoming rankings update.
The women’s draw has reached a historic milestone, as the top four seeds—Aryna Sabalenka, Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, and Coco Gauff—have all advanced to the semi-finals. This marks the first time since Wimbledon in 2009 that the top four women’s seeds have reached the final four of a Grand Slam. Gauff secured her spot by overcoming a difficult start against Russian fifth seed Mirra Andreeva, eventually winning 2-6, 7-6(7), 6-2. Drawing inspiration from Frances Tiafoe’s comeback the previous evening, Gauff saved two match points in the tiebreak to keep her title defense alive.
Looking ahead to the next round, Gauff acknowledged the challenge of facing the incoming world number one. “Elena – she’s the new world number one so it’s going to be a tough match,” Gauff said. “I’m looking forward to the battle. These are the moments you live for.”
In the men’s draw, Alexander Zverev continued his dominant form by sweeping past Botic van de Zandschulp with a 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 victory. The German top seed is now scheduled to face Karen Khachanov in the next round. Khachanov advanced after his opponent, Alexander Blockx, retired from their match while trailing 6-2, 7-5, 3-2. These results follow a dramatic day at Flushing Meadows that saw Ben Shelton eliminate defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the latest-finishing match in the tournament’s history. The report also notes that while 2023 champion Coco Gauff recovered from a slow start to set up a semi, elena Rybakina ensured she will leave the US Open as the new world number one following her victory over China’s Zheng Qinwen on Wednesday.
