Elena Rybakina has secured her position as the incoming world number one following a hard-fought victory over China’s Zheng Qinwen at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday. Despite early errors, Rybakina dismantled Zheng’s defenses to claim a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 win. Reflecting on the achievement, Rybakina admitted, “It’s tough to find words. It wasn’t maybe the highest level but I’m glad I pushed through.” She is officially scheduled to dethrone Aryna Sabalenka at the top of the rankings this coming Monday.
The women’s draw has reached a historic milestone, as the top four seeds—Sabalenka, Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, and Coco Gauff—have all qualified for the semifinals. This marks the first time since the 2009 Wimbledon Championships that the four highest-ranked women have reached the final four of a Grand Slam tournament.
Coco Gauff, the 2023 champion, earned her place in the semifinals after a dramatic comeback against Russian fifth seed Mirra Andreeva. Despite a shaky start, Gauff rallied to secure a 2-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 victory. Drawing inspiration from Frances Tiafoe’s previous performance, Gauff saved two match points during the tiebreak to keep her title defense alive. Looking ahead to the next round, Gauff acknowledged the challenge, stating, “Elena—she’s the new world number one so it’s going to be a tough match. I’m looking forward to the battle. These are the moments you live for.”
In the men’s draw, Alexander Zverev moved into the next round with a dominant 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 victory over Botic van de Zandschulp. The German top seed is now set to face Karen Khachanov, who advanced after his opponent, Alexander Blockx, retired from their match while trailing 6-2, 7-5, 3-2. These results follow a high-profile upset the previous day, where Ben Shelton eliminated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a late-night thriller at Flushing Meadows. The report also notes that uS fan favourite Gauff then got off to a dreadful start before recovering to beat Russian fifth seed Mirra Andreeva 2-6 7-6(7) 6-2.