Elena Rybakina has officially secured the world number one ranking following her victory over China’s Zheng Qinwen at the US Open on Wednesday. Despite a shaky start at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Rybakina overcame early errors to dismantle her opponent’s defenses, ultimately winning 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. Reflecting on the milestone, she admitted, “It’s tough to find words. It wasn’t maybe the highest level but I’m glad I pushed through.” Rybakina is set to officially dethrone Aryna Sabalenka when the new rankings are released this coming Monday.
The women’s draw has reached a historic milestone, as the top four seeds—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 seeds have reached the final four of a Grand Slam. Gauff secured her spot after a challenging match against Russian fifth seed Mirra Andreeva, recovering from a difficult start to win 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 her next match, Gauff acknowledged the challenge of facing the incoming top-ranked player, stating, “Elena – she’s the new world number one so it’s going to be a tough match. I’m looking forward to the battle. These are the moments you live for.”
On the men’s side, Alexander Zverev delivered a dominant performance, defeating Botic van de Zandschulp 6-2, 7-5, 6-1. The German top seed is now scheduled to face Karen Khachanov, who 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.
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