The second-seeded Rybakina recovered from losing the opening set to beat the 2023 US Open champion 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday night, September 10, booking her place in Saturday’s championship match against defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.
Chat Gpt
The victory also confirmed Rybakina’s arrival at the top of the women’s world rankings. She will officially become the new WTA world number one after the tournament, replacing Sabalenka, who had held the position for an extended period.
Rybakina entered the semifinal looking to reach the US Open final for the first time, while Gauff was attempting to use home-court advantage to reach the championship match at her home Grand Slam for the second time.
The American made the stronger start in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Gauff played aggressively in the opening set, applying pressure to Rybakina and taking advantage of opportunities to establish control of the match.
The fourth seed eventually claimed the first set 6-3, putting Rybakina under immediate pressure and moving one set away from another US Open final.
But Rybakina responded strongly in the second set.
The Kazakhstani player began to settle into the contest, using her powerful serve and aggressive groundstrokes to prevent Gauff from dictating points as consistently as she had in the opening set.
Rybakina increased the pressure and eventually levelled the match by taking the second set 6-4.
That forced a deciding third set, with both players now just one set away from the US Open final.
The final set remained competitive, but Rybakina gradually established control.
Her serve became particularly effective, allowing her to protect her service games and put increasing pressure on Gauff.
The American continued to fight and produced a late response, but Rybakina remained composed and completed another 6-4 set to seal the comeback.
The victory marked a major breakthrough for Rybakina at Flushing Meadows.
Before this tournament, she had never advanced beyond the fourth round of the US Open despite making several previous appearances.
Now, the 27-year-old is one victory away from lifting the championship trophy in New York.
Rybakina will also be competing for her third Grand Slam singles title.
She won her first major championship at Wimbledon in 2022 before adding the Australian Open title earlier this year.Her opponent in Saturday’s final will be Aryna Sabalenka, who reached the championship match earlier on Thursday after defeating third-seeded American Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2.Sabalenka, the current world number one, produced a dominant performance against Pegula to reach her fourth consecutive US Open final.The Belarusian is now attempting to achieve one of the rarest accomplishments in modern women’s tennis: winning the US Open three years in a row.Sabalenka has already won the tournament in 2024 and 2025, and another victory on Saturday would make her the first woman since Serena Williams to claim three consecutive US Open singles championships.Williams achieved the feat between 2012 and 2014.Sabalenka is also seeking her fifth Grand Slam singles title.The final therefore carries enormous significance for both players.For Sabalenka, it is an opportunity to complete a historic US Open three-peat and further strengthen her position among the leading players of her generation.For Rybakina, it is a chance to win her first US Open title and claim another major championship in a season in which she has already won the Australian Open.The final will also be a rematch of the 2026 Australian Open championship match, where Rybakina defeated Sabalenka to claim the title in Melbourne.Their latest meeting therefore adds another chapter to an increasingly important rivalry in women’s tennis.There is also a major ranking storyline surrounding the final.Regardless of the result on Saturday, Rybakina will take over the world number-one ranking when the new WTA rankings are released.Her victory over Gauff completed the results necessary for the change at the top, ending Sabalenka’s reign as the leading player in women’s tennis.That means Saturday’s final will bring together the outgoing world number one and the player who is about to replace her.For Gauff, meanwhile, the semifinal defeat ends another deep run at the US Open.The 22-year-old American was hoping to win her second title in New York after her breakthrough championship in 2023.She had also entered the semifinal with the support of the home crowd and an opportunity to become the first American woman since Serena Williams to reach the US Open final in consecutive years.But Rybakina’s comeback ended those hopes.Gauff’s defeat, combined with Pegula’s loss to Sabalenka, means there will be no American woman in this year’s US Open singles final.The result also ends a significant American presence in the women’s singles draw, with both Gauff and Pegula having reached the final four before being eliminated by the top two seeds.The final between Rybakina and Sabalenka is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, at Arthur Ashe Stadium.It will feature two Grand Slam champions, two of the most powerful players on the women’s tour and a major ranking change at the top of the sport.Rybakina will arrive as the newly crowned world number one and Australian Open champion, seeking her first US Open trophy.Sabalenka will arrive as the two-time defending champion, seeking a third consecutive title and her fifth Grand Slam crown.
