Elena Rybakina Claims World No.1 Spot After Beating Qinwen Zheng to Reach US Open Semifinals

Elena Rybakina secured her place in the US Open semi-finals and moved to the top of the WTA rankings after defeating Qinwen Zheng 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in a hard-fought quarter-final clash.

The Kazakh star will officially replace Aryna Sabalenka as the women’s World No.1 when the latest WTA rankings are released on Monday, September 14. Rybakina’s victory also marked the first time she has reached the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows.

Zheng, who had stunned Iga Swiatek in the previous round, made a strong start and immediately put Rybakina under pressure with her powerful groundstrokes and serve. Rybakina also had to contend with the bright sun and shadows at Arthur Ashe Stadium before gradually finding her rhythm.

The Chinese star edged the opening set 6-3 after breaking Rybakina to take a 5-3 lead. Rybakina had opportunities to level the set but Zheng held firm during a lengthy game featuring several advantages before closing it out.

The second set was a different story. Rybakina raised her level behind her serve, while Zheng struggled to find consistency on her first delivery. The Kazakh broke twice and raced through the set 6-1 to force a decider.

The final set remained tightly contested, with both players holding serve through the opening eight games. Rybakina finally created the breakthrough in the ninth game, winning 11 of the next 15 points from 4-4 to earn the crucial break.

She then served out the match without losing her composure to seal a place in the last four.

“It’s just a number right now,” Rybakina said after the match. “Of course, I’m in the semis. My goal is to win the tournaments I played.

“It’s an amazing achievement but we know how quickly everything can change in tennis, ranking wise, during the match. So I feel like I just need to focus on my game and try to recover and enjoy tomorrow.”

Rybakina reaches first US Open semi-final

The victory represents Rybakina’s best-ever run at the US Open. Her previous best performance in New York came last year when she reached the fourth round.

The US Open has historically been her least successful Grand Slam. Before this year’s quarter-final, Rybakina had won just 57 per cent of her matches at the tournament.

The 2022 Wimbledon champion and Australian Open winner is now one victory away from reaching the US Open final. A title in New York would give her three of the four Grand Slam trophies, with the French Open remaining the only major missing from her collection.

Rybakina will face either Coco Gauff or Mirra Andreeva in the semi-finals as she continues her bid for a maiden US Open title.

Her comeback against Zheng underlined the resilience that has defined her run in New York. After surrendering the opening set, Rybakina responded emphatically in the second and remained composed during a tense deciding set.

With the World No.1 ranking now within reach and a first US Open semi-final secured, Rybakina’s campaign has entered a defining stage.