Rybakina overcomes Zheng and 'battle inside' to make first US Open semifinal

Elena Rybakina will officially become the 30th WTA World No. 1 in next week's edition of the PIF WTA Rankings. The No. 2 seed ended qualifier Zheng Qinwen's remarkable run at the US Open 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in 2 hours and 14 minutes to reach her first semifinal at Flushing Meadows.

Down 4-3 in the third set, Rybakina faced a break point that would have left Zheng serving for the match. She staved it off with a bold net rush that started a run of six points, and ultimately three games in a row for victory -- a surge to the finishing line that had echoes of her Australian Open final triumph in January, where she ran off six of the last seven games from 3-0 down in the decider against Aryna Sabalenka.

It's the third time in as many meetings this year that Rybakina has defeated Zheng from a set down -- she won 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 in the Doha third round and 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the Madrid third round -- and she now leads their overall head-to-head 5-1. The stakes were higher than ever this time round, though. The Kazakhstani player began the US Open as one of four players who could end it in the top spot, and reaching the semifinals has secured it outright for herself. Sabalenka's 99-week stint at the top has ended, and the wait will go on for both Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff to reach No. 1.

Rybakina also advances to her first US Open semifinal, and fifth overall at the majors, marking the first time in her career that she's made multiple Slam semifinals in a single season. She extends her 2026 record to 47-13 -- only fellow semifinalist Jessica Pegula has won more tour-level matches this year, with a 50-12 record.

Rybakina's reaction: After Zheng's final forehand hit the net, Rybakina celebrated in what has become her customary fashion over the years: a deadpan expression with barely a flicker of her facial muscles, a stare into the middle distance and then some self-deprecation.

The 27-year-old did permit herself a brief smile during her on-court interview with Andrea Petkovic, but her tone was one of relief.

"It's been a very difficult match," she said. "Honestly, a lot of nerves, of course. Maybe it wasn't the highest level but I'm glad that I pushed through. It's an early match and in my head I was complaining a little bit about the sun, the shadow, a lot of little things. It was definitely a battle inside me but I'm glad that I pushed all the negative thoughts away and I kept on fighting."

Rybakina attributed her struggles not to the pressure of the World No. 1 ranking, but to the tournament schedule: this was the first time she had played so early in the day (her opener against Thea Frodin was scheduled first, but delayed by several hours due to rain), and therefore the first time she had needed to deal with the midday sun.

And she also brushed off the idea that achieving the top spot was her end game in New York.

"It's just a number right now," Rybakina said. "Of course, I'm in the semis, so my goal is to win the tournaments which I play. I go just match at a time. It's an amazing achievement, but you know how quick everything can change in tennis, ranking-wise, during the match. I just need to focus on my game, try to recover and enjoy tomorrow."

Rybakina will face either No. 4 seed Coco Gauff or No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva in the final four.

Rybakina flips first-set script in decider: The match comprised two sets with near-identical dynamics, bookending a one-sided second act that passed in a flash.

The first and third sets were the types one would naturally expect of a meeting between two of the strongest servers on the TA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz: plenty of easy holds, aces and service winners to escape break points, and ultimately only decided by a single break.

In the opener, Zheng fired a terrific forehand winner to bring up the first break point of the match at 4-3, and went on to convert as Rybakina netted a forehand. The final game of the set was a mini-thriller of its own as Zheng navigated seven deuces and saved five break-back points before slamming a service winner down the T to convert her fourth set point.

Rybakina responded by raising her level in the second set -- while Zheng's abruptly plummeted. The Chinese player, who had gone the distance in four of her seven matches at the tournament -- against Elena Pridankina, Kristina Liutova, Yulia Putintseva and Madison Keys -- found just one winner in this passage of play as her first-serve percentage dropped to 35%.

But Olympic gold medalist Zheng's resurgent tournament has been marked by a great deal of scoreboard resilience -- the 23-year-old won two consecutive sets from 5-0 down against Keys and Iga Swiatek -- and her gathered herself for a final push in her quest to become the second qualifier to make the US Open semifinals in the Open Era.

In the third set, Zheng fended off a break point at 2-2, then found a breathtaking backhand winner down the line to bring up one of her own at 4-3. At that juncture, Rybakina had only come to the net five times, and won only two of those points -- and her approach down break point gave Zheng plenty of time to set up for a pass. But Zheng pushed her backhand long, and the momentum suddenly flipped back to Rybakina.

A six-point run took her to a hold, then to triple break point on Zheng's serve. Zheng didn't let that game go easily, but a double fault on Rybakina's fourth break point sealed her fate. Betraying no nerves, Rybakina served out a milestone win with the calm efficiency that's been her hallmark for most of this decade.