Elena Rybakina is set to become the world No 1 for the first time in her career following a resilient 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in the US Open quarter-finals. By reaching the final four in New York, the second-seeded Rybakina becomes the 30th player in WTA history to claim the top ranking, officially ending Aryna Sabalenka’s 99-week consecutive reign at the summit.
The transition to the top spot marks a significant turnaround for Rybakina, who struggled with health and form during last year’s North American hardcourt swing. Her path to this milestone was fraught with uncertainty; she was forced to retire from her Cincinnati Open quarter-final against Iga Swiatek just 12 days before the US Open due to an achilles injury. Reflecting on her recovery, Rybakina noted that she was unable to train for a week, stating, “I couldn’t do much in the gym movement-wise, so we had to really go day by day. It’s an amazing progress. I’m really glad how everything worked out. We didn’t even know if I’m going to be able to play or not.”
Despite a slow start against a confident Zheng, Rybakina found her rhythm, utilizing her powerful serve to dictate play. The match turned in the third set when Rybakina faced a break point at 4-3. After Zheng missed a backhand, Rybakina tightened her service game and closed out the final three games to secure the win. Regarding her new status, she remained grounded, adding, “It’s just a number right now. Of course, I’m in the semis so my goal is to win the tournaments which I play, I go just one match at a time.”
Rybakina’s semi-final opponent will be fourth-seeded Coco Gauff, who mounted a remarkable comeback to defeat Mirra Andreeva 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2. Gauff saved two match points in a tense second-set tie-break to stay alive. This year’s tournament has seen a rare historical alignment, as it is the first time in 51 years that all four top-seeded women have reached the US Open semi-finals, with Sabalenka scheduled to face Jessica Pegula in the other bracket.
In the men’s draw, unseeded Karen Khachanov advanced to the semi-finals after his opponent, Alexander Blockx, retired from the match while trailing 6-2, 7-5, 3-2. Blockx, who entered the contest carrying a rib injury, was further hampered by leg and ankle issues throughout the match. Khachanov, currently ranked No 50—his lowest major ranking since 2017—remarked on the difficult circumstances, saying, “I was preparing really well for that match-up, it’s not easy because I feel I was dominating then I felt he was struggling more and more. He was suffering, but I wanted to keep the energy there.”
Khachanov now awaits the winner of the quarter-final between top seed Alexander Zverev and Botic van de Zandschulp. For Rybakina, the focus remains entirely on her next challenge against Gauff, as she looks to build on her Australian Open title and WTA Finals victory to capture her first US Open trophy. The report also notes that the sixth-longest consecutive reign in history, and 107 weeks in total, the Belarusian has held the position for 99 successive weeks. The report also notes that during last year’s North American hardcourt swing, Rybakina fell out of the top 10 and she was struggling badly with her health and game. The report also notes that she has also won titles in Ningbo and Stuttgart in addition to finishing runner-up in Indian Wells and Toronto. The report also notes that the Kazakhstani arrived in New York fully conscious of the opportunity before her, between Sabalenka’s difficult past five months and Rybakina’s resurgence. The report also notes that with a run to the semi-final guaranteeing it from the beginning, the No 1 ranking was always in her hands. The report also notes that however, so many things seemed to be conspiring against Rybakina. The report also notes that finding rhythm behind her destructive serve and dominating the baseline with her easy power to quickly force a third set, but the 27-year-old responded brilliantly.
Comments