Rybakina defeats Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to reach US Open final, clinches world No. 1

Elena Rybakina rallied from a set down to beat top seed Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the US Open women's semi-final on September 11, securing her path to the championship match and guaranteeing her ascent to the world No. 1 ranking. The second-seeded Kazakh player will replace Aryna Sabalenka at the top when the rankings update on Monday, ending Sabalenka's 99-week reign. Rybakina will face Sabalenka, the top seed, in the final. The matchup marks the first time since 2013 that the top two seeds have contested a US Open women's final. Sabalenka defeated Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the first semi-final to secure her spot. The semi-final field itself was historic. All four top seeds reached the semi-finals in the US Open women's draw for the first time in 51 years, per the Guardian. This was also the first occurrence across all women's singles draws at any major event since Wimbledon in 2009 that the top four seeds advanced to the semi-finals. Rybakina and Gauff squared off for only the second time; they met last month in the Canadian Open final, which Rybakina won in three sets after being a set down. According to the Guardian, Gauff's forehand troubled her in the semi-final, producing 15 unforced errors. Gauff had advanced from the previous round after saving two match points against Mirra Andreeva, though she served 12 double faults in that encounter. Rybakina is chasing her third Grand Slam title. According to BBC Sport reporting, she won Wimbledon in 2022 and defeated Sabalenka in the Australian Open final in January. Since her maiden victory at Wimbledon, her subsequent three major finals have all come on hard courts, per Guardian reporting. After the match, Rybakina said of her comeback, "I took a deep breath and just told myself I needed to fight and show good tennis." On the road ahead, she added: "I definitely need to step my game up in the final, serve better than today, stay aggressive and really go for my shots." Sabalenka holds the head-to-head edge in their rivalry, leading 10 wins in 17 meetings, per BBC Sport. The top seed beat Rybakina in the Miami semi-finals and the Indian Wells final earlier this year. Sabalenka has dropped just one set en route to the US Open final and has not been beaten in New York since losing the 2023 final to Gauff.