Elena Rybakina overcame a rocky start to defeat Coco Gauff in the US Open semifinal, securing her spot in the final against Aryna Sabalenka, as reported by The Guardian and the Chicago Tribune. The match, which took place on Arthur Ashe Stadium, saw Rybakina recover from a 3-6 first set loss to win the next two sets 6-4 each. Her performance revealed her mental resilience and problem-solving ability on the court, according to The Guardian.

Rybakina’s Road to the Final

This victory marked Rybakina’s fourth career Grand Slam final appearance — Since her first Grand Slam win at Wimbledon in 2022, all her subsequent major finals have been on hard courts, according to The Guardian. The win also ensures she will take over the world No. 1 ranking next week, per the Chicago Tribune, after she needed only to reach the semifinals to overtake Aryna Sabalenka, who had held the top spot for 99 consecutive weeks.

Entering the tournament, Rybakina had a difficult record at the US Open and was recovering from a scary Achilles injury before the event. Despite not playing her best tennis at any point in the tournament, she has made it to the final, demonstrating her mental growth and ability to handle pressure, according to The Guardian.

Sabalenka’s Dominance at the US Open

Aryna Sabalenka, who will face Rybakina in the final, continued her strong performance at the US Open, defeating Jessica Pegula in the first semifinal with a 7-5, 6-2 scoreline, as reported by the Chicago Tribune. Sabalenka has now won 19 consecutive matches at the US Open since losing to Gauff in the 2023 final, but she pounded 29 winners in her semifinal match, more than double Pegula’s 12, according to the Chicago Tribune.

In the 2023 US Open final, Gauff had defeated Sabalenka to win her first major title; However, since then, no one has managed to defeat Sabalenka at Flushing Meadows, per the Chicago Tribune. Pegula put up a strong fight in 2024 but ultimately could not match Sabalenka’s performance on Thursday.

Key Players and Rankings

The US Open women’s semifinals featured the top four seeds for the first time since 1975, according to the Chicago Tribune. Rybakina, who won the Australian Open in 2024, has capitalized on Sabalenka’s poor summer performances to close the gap in the race for the No. 1 ranking. She previously defeated Sabalenka in Australia and is now aiming for her third Grand Slam title, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Open, another key tournament this week, saw several notable performances, as reported by La Nación; Taro Hiijikata won his first ATP match on hard courts and will face Luciano Darderi in the second round. Meanwhile, the 39-year-old Gael Monfils, who will retire at the end of 2026, lost in the first round and received a standing ovation from the crowd. Katie Volynets and Jack Draper also faced setbacks in their matches.

Aryna Sabalenka is the top seed in Cincinnati, while Iga Swiatek, who recently won in Toronto, is seeded seventh; the women’s doubles draw will include the first appearance of Venus and Serena Williams together since the 2022 US Open, according to La Nación.