NEW YORK – Elena Rybakina has made headlines by securing her place in the U.S. Open semifinals while simultaneously rising to the top of the WTA women’s tennis rankings. Her impressive journey continued as she triumphed over Zheng Qinwen with a score of 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 on Wednesday, solidifying her position as the new world No. 1.
The Australian Open champion now looks ahead to a semifinal matchup against either No. 4 Coco Gauff or No. 5 Mirra Andreeva. In the other semifinal, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka is set to face off against No. 3 Jessica Pegula. Regardless of the outcomes in these matches, Rybakina’s victory guarantees that she will end Sabalenka’s remarkable 99-week reign at the No. 1 spot when the new rankings are published on Monday.
“It’s just a number right now and of course I’m in the semis so my goal is to win the tournament,” Rybakina commented post-match. “It’s an amazing achievement but you know how quick everything can change in tennis, ranking-wise, during the match, so I feel like I just need to focus on my game, try to recover and enjoy tomorrow.”
Rybakina and Zheng’s match was delayed significantly, beginning about eight hours after Ben Shelton’s historic victory against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, which concluded at 3:33 a.m., marking the latest finish in U.S. Open history. Rybakina admitted to struggling with the sun and shadows on Arthur Ashe Stadium, having played later in the day in her prior matches.
Zheng, who had previously capitalized on Rybakina’s early struggles, managed to break Rybakina to take a 5-3 lead in the first set, showcasing her skill as one of the rising stars in women’s tennis. However, Rybakina quickly regained her composure and dominated the second set, wrapping it up in just 38 minutes.
Zheng, the 2024 Olympic gold medalist from China, faced a challenging path to the quarterfinals. After undergoing elbow surgery, which caused her ranking to plummet to No. 121, she made a remarkable comeback by surviving the qualifying tournament. Once ranked No. 4, her strong performance at the U.S. Open guarantees her a return to the top 60.
Zheng’s dramatic run included overcoming a 5-0 deficit in the third set against Madison Keys and another comeback from a 5-0 hole in her fourth-round victory over No. 8 seed Iga Swiatek. Despite her valiant efforts, a double-fault at a crucial moment allowed Rybakina to seize a decisive 5-4 lead in the third set, ultimately serving out the match to secure her spot in the semifinals for the first time.
Rybakina entered the tournament needing to reach the semifinals to guarantee her ascension past Sabalenka. Had she been eliminated earlier, either Sabalenka, Pegula, or Gauff could have claimed the No. 1 ranking by winning the tournament.
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