Elena Rybakina produced a gritty comeback against Coco Gauff to reach the US Open final, setting up a blockbuster showdown with Aryna Sabalenka. The Kazakh second seed will face the top seed in Saturday’s showpiece.
Rybakina is guaranteed to end Sabalenka’s 99-week reign as world number one. She will replace the Belarusian at the top when the rankings are updated on Monday.
Rybakina’s Comeback
Rybakina trailed early against Gauff. The American fourth seed took the first set 3-6.
But Rybakina fought back, winning the next two sets 6-4 6-4. She silenced the partisan crowd.
“I took a deep breath and just told myself I needed to fight and show good tennis,” Rybakina said.
Sabalenka’s Warning
Sabalenka sent a warning to her rivals as she overpowered home hope Jessica Pegula 7-5 6-2. The win kept her bid alive to become the third woman in the Open era to win the New York singles title three times in a row.
Sabalenka has not tasted defeat in New York since losing the 2023 final to Gauff. Her title defence was in doubt after a poor run-up to the tournament.
She suffered a quarter-final defeat at Roland Garros and a fourth-round exit at Wimbledon. But she has found her form again, dropping just one set en route to the final.
A Desperate Sabalenka
Sabalenka said she was “super desperate” after her win over Pegula.
“It feels for me, talking about Grand Slams, like a last push of the season,” she said.
“I wanted it badly to go to the finals, and of course, I want to go all the way.”
The Match Against Pegula
In a tense opening set, Sabalenka bristled with frustration early on as unforced errors crept into her game. Pegula settled quickly and struck the ball cleanly.
But Sabalenka found her rhythm at 6-5. She struck decisively to take the first set, then cranked up the power in the second.
Pegula looked helpless as Sabalenka raced through the second set. The Belarusian pounded 29 winners to her 12.
Records on the Line
Sabalenka broke the Open era record for the most Grand Slam hard-court finals in a row. She has reached every major final on her favoured surface since the 2023 Australian Open.
Pegula remains the only semi-finalist without a Grand Slam title. This is yet another US Open defeat by long-time rival Sabalenka.
Sabalenka denied Pegula a maiden major in the 2024 final. She also got the better of her in last year’s semi-finals, although Pegula had won their most recent meeting in June’s Berlin Open.
The Final Facts
| Player | Seed | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Rybakina | 2 | Comeback win over Gauff |
| Sabalenka | 1 | Dominant win over Pegula |
| Event | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-finals | Today | Not specified |
| Final | Saturday | Not specified |
What’s at Stake
The final will be the first time the top two women’s seeds have contested a US Open final since Serena Williams beat Victoria Azarenka in the 2013 showpiece.
Rybakina is chasing her third Grand Slam title after winning Wimbledon in 2022 and beating Sabalenka in January’s Australian Open final.
Sabalenka can rub more salt in Rybakina’s wounds if she denies the top seed a third successive US Open title.
Source: bbc.co.uk
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.