A Painful Exit on Home Soil
Coco Gauff's dream of defending her status as a fan favorite at Flushing Meadows came to an abrupt halt in the semifinals, where Elena Rybakina delivered a performance convincing enough to secure not just a final berth but also the top ranking in women's tennis. Rybakina became the 30th player in WTA Tour history to hold the world No. 1 position, overtaking Aryna Sabalenka after 99 weeks at the top. For Gauff, the defeat was a tough pill to swallow on her home Grand Slam stage, with the Kazakhstani's consistent level proving too much to handle across the match.
The result sets up a blockbuster final at Arthur Ashe Stadium on September 12, with Rybakina facing Sabalenka in what is already their fourth Grand Slam meeting. Sabalenka booked her spot by dismantling Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the other semifinal, a performance so dominant that even Pegula joked she wondered who had fired up her opponent. Sabalenka, despite losing the top ranking the day before, channeled her frustration into razor-sharp focus. She acknowledged Rybakina's achievement graciously, saying the Kazakhstani star had taken the ranking by playing brilliant tennis, but she made clear she intends to reclaim it.
What This Means for the Final
Sabalenka and Rybakina have now met 17 times on tour, with Sabalenka leading their head-to-head 10 wins to seven. However, Rybakina won the Australian Open final earlier in the 2026 season, and a victory on Saturday would cement an extraordinary year. For Sabalenka, winning would deliver a third consecutive US Open title and a fifth Grand Slam trophy overall. The stakes could not be higher for either player. TennisDraw users had Gauff as a popular deep-run pick heading into this tournament, making her semifinal exit one of the bracket-busting moments of the fortnight.
