Elena Rybakina clinches world No. 1 ranking at US Open

Elena Rybakina will become the world No. 1 for the first time after beating Qinwen Zheng to reach the US Open semi-finals. The 27-year-old from Kazakhstan ends Aryna Sabalenka's 99-week reign at the top of the rankings, which will officially conclude on Monday.

Rybakina has pursued the top spot all year and will achieve it regardless of whether Sabalenka wins a third consecutive title. The Australian Open champion now advances to her first semi-final at Flushing Meadows.

Rybakina's milestone victory

"It means a lot, of course, but I don't think about it so much," Rybakina said. She described it as a great achievement that she will appreciate more after her career. "But you never know how long you're going to stay."

Rybakina dropped her first set of the tournament but recovered strongly. Zheng, who had spent nearly 12 hours on court through qualifying and main draw matches, faded in the decider. The final score was 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Zheng's run, reminiscent of Emma Raducanu's 2021 victory, ended in the quarter-finals. The 23-year-old from China said a few key points decided the match. Despite the loss, her performance is projected to return her to the verge of the top 50, a significant recovery from a ranking of 121 after elbow surgery.

Gauff's dramatic comeback

Rybakina's semi-final opponent will be American fourth seed Coco Gauff. Gauff saved two match points during a dramatic three-set victory over teenage French Open champion Mirra Andreeva.

Gauff made a poor start, losing the first set 6-2 in just 26 minutes. She hit only three winners and committed 14 unforced errors during that set. Her serve and forehand were ineffective.

The match turned in a second-set tie-break. Andreeva, the Russian fifth seed, failed to convert two match point opportunities. This break proved decisive for Andreeva's morale.

Frustrated, Andreeva hurled her racket toward her chair. It accidentally spun toward a camera operator, who had to dodge out of the way. Gauff capitalized on the shift in momentum to win the final set comfortably. The match ended 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2.

Inspiration from the crowd

Gauff revealed she drew inspiration during a bathroom break. She thought about fellow American Frances Tiafoe's comeback victory from the previous day. "We all want to do well in front of this crowd and I wanted to leave the court without any regrets," Gauff said. She thanked the fans for pulling her through the difficult match.

A rare semi-final lineup

With top seed Sabalenka set to play third seed Jessica Pegula in the other semi-final, this US Open marks a significant milestone. It is the first Grand Slam tournament since Wimbledon 2009 to feature the top four women's seeds in the semi-finals.

The stage is now set for two high-stakes matches. Rybakina will play Gauff, while Sabalenka faces Pegula, with the new world No. 1 already confirmed.