Elena Rybakina has advanced to the semifinals of the 2026 US Open with a three-set victory over Zheng Qinwen, securing the world No. 1 spot in the women’s rankings for the first time in her career.
Rybakina Battles Through to Semifinals
Elena Rybakina triumphed 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 over Zheng Qinwen in a hard-fought quarterfinal at the US Open. The Australian Open champion had to overcome a challenging start after Zheng broke her serve and took the opening set. Rybakina’s serve, considered one of the best in women’s tennis, eventually helped her recover and dominate the second set, which she won in just 38 minutes.
The decisive third set saw Rybakina break Zheng after a double fault, allowing her to serve out the match and secure her first career semifinal appearance in New York. Rybakina admitted post-match that her focus remains on her tournament performance despite the milestone ranking. "It’s just a number right now... my goal is to win the tournament,” she stated while reflecting on the fast-moving nature of rankings in the sport.
Rise to World No. 1
With this victory, Rybakina is assured of ascending to No. 1 in the WTA rankings, ending Aryna Sabalenka’s 99-week reign at the top regardless of remaining results. Rybakina only needed to reach the semifinals to secure the new ranking position. Had she fallen short, Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, or Coco Gauff could have claimed the top spot with a tournament win. The new rankings are set to be released on Monday, confirming Rybakina’s achievement.
Her next opponent will be either Coco Gauff or Mirra Andreeva. The other women’s semifinal features top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka against Jessica Pegula, setting up an exciting finale at Flushing Meadows.
Zheng’s Impressive Run
Zheng Qinwen, the 2024 Olympic gold medalist, had dropped in the rankings following elbow surgery and had to qualify for the main draw. Ranked 121 entering the tournament, she is now certain to re-enter the top 60. Her US Open run was notable for dramatic comebacks, including overcoming significant deficits against Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek in earlier rounds. Zheng acknowledged the positives from her performance, despite the disappointment of missing key opportunities against Rybakina in the third set.
