Coco Gauff Reaches US Open Semifinals Against New Women’s No. 1 Elena Rybakina/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Coco Gauff saved two match points and rallied past Mirra Andreeva to reach the U.S. Open semifinals. She will face Elena Rybakina, who defeated Zheng Qinwen and secured the No. 1 position in the next WTA rankings. Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula will meet in the other women’s semifinal after all four leading seeds advanced.
Quick Look
- Gauff defeated Andreeva 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2.
- She saved two match points in the second-set tiebreaker.
- Gauff reached her seventh Grand Slam semifinal.
- Rybakina beat Zheng 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
- Rybakina will become world No. 1 for the first time.
- Her victory ends Sabalenka’s 99-week stay atop the rankings.
- The four highest women’s seeds all reached the semifinals.
- Sabalenka will face Pegula in the other semifinal.
- Alexander Zverev will play Karen Khachanov in the men’s semifinals.
- Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe will contest an all-American semifinal.
Deep Look
Gauff Prepares for Rybakina’s Power
NEW YORK — Coco Gauff expects to face one of women’s tennis’ most powerful players when she meets Elena Rybakina in the U.S. Open semifinals.
“I know I’m going to have some aces hit on me and some winners hit on me, but I’m going to keep fighting and give it my all,” Gauff said. “That’s all I can do.”
That determination helped Gauff survive two match points and recover from a difficult opening set against French Open champion Mirra Andreeva.
The fourth-seeded American prevailed 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2 to reach her seventh Grand Slam semifinal and remain in contention for her second U.S. Open championship. Official tournament results confirm the score and Gauff’s two saved match points.
Andreeva Controls the Opening Set
Andreeva won the match’s first seven points and completed the opening set in only 26 minutes.
Gauff struggled to establish her game during the early stages but regrouped between sets. She drew inspiration from fellow American Frances Tiafoe, who had recovered from a two-set deficit in his quarterfinal one day earlier.
“So, honestly I was just trying to literally leave the court with no regrets,” Gauff said.
The comeback resembled Gauff’s run to the 2023 U.S. Open championship. In that final, she recovered from another poor start to defeat Aryna Sabalenka and claim her first Grand Slam singles title.
Gauff Saves Two Match Points
A 39-shot rally helped Gauff move ahead 5-3 in the second-set tiebreaker. Andreeva then captured three consecutive points, earning her first match point.
Gauff erased that opportunity when Andreeva sent a forehand long. The American also saved a second match point with Andreeva leading 7-6.
After surviving the tiebreaker, Gauff controlled most of the final set and completed the comeback with a 6-2 victory.
The result placed her in the U.S. Open semifinals for the second time. Gauff entered the matchup owning a 2-1 career advantage over Rybakina, including a victory at the 2026 Toronto tournament.
Rybakina Secures the No. 1 Ranking
Rybakina also recovered after losing her opening set, defeating Zheng 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
By reaching the semifinals, the 27-year-old from Kazakhstan guaranteed that she would move to No. 1 when the WTA releases its updated rankings 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 said. “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 entered the tournament needing to reach at least the semifinals to control her path to the top position. Her victory means Sabalenka will lose the ranking regardless of the remaining results.
Sabalenka had occupied the No. 1 position for 99 consecutive weeks. Rybakina will hold it for the first time in her career.
Rybakina Recovers From Difficult Start
The match between Rybakina and Zheng began approximately eight hours after Ben Shelton completed his victory over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz at 3:33 a.m., the latest finish in U.S. Open history.
Rybakina said the afternoon sun and shadows inside Arthur Ashe Stadium caused problems early in the match. Her previous contests had begun later in the day.
Zheng capitalized by earning her only service break of the match and taking a 5-3 lead in the first set. She secured the set, but Rybakina quickly changed the momentum.
Rybakina dominated the second set, winning it in 38 minutes to force a deciding third.
Zheng’s Inspiring Qualifying Run Ends
Zheng, the 2024 Olympic gold medalist, was once ranked No. 4 but entered the U.S. Open at No. 121 following elbow surgery.
Her lower ranking required her to advance through qualifying before entering the main draw. She then delivered one of the tournament’s most dramatic runs.
Zheng recovered from a 5-0 deficit in the third set against Madison Keys and escaped another 5-0 deficit in the opening set of her fourth-round victory over eighth-seeded Iga Swiatek.
She had opportunities against Rybakina in the deciding set but could not convert them. A double fault gave Rybakina a 5-4 advantage, and the incoming No. 1 served out the match.
“I think the wins that I had so far are great, but obviously today in the match I got a lot of chances in the third set, but I didn’t take it,” Zheng said. “That was a bit pity for me to lose this match, but obviously I could take positive things from U.S. Open this year.”
Despite the defeat, Zheng is guaranteed to return to the top 60.
Top Four Seeds Reach Semifinals
The women’s semifinal lineup features each of the tournament’s four highest seeds:
It is the first time since 1975 that the four leading women’s seeds have all advanced to the U.S. Open semifinals.
Sabalenka is pursuing a third consecutive title in New York, while Pegula is trying to reach her second U.S. Open final. Gauff won the tournament in 2023, and Rybakina is appearing in the Flushing Meadows semifinals for the first time.
Men’s Semifinal Matchups Set
Karen Khachanov advanced to his third Grand Slam semifinal after 28th-seeded Alexander Blockx stopped playing during the third set of their quarterfinal.
Khachanov had already won the opening two sets. Blockx competed with his upper left leg wrapped and received treatment for his lower leg and back before retiring.
Khachanov, previously a semifinalist at the 2022 U.S. Open and 2023 Australian Open, will face top-seeded Alexander Zverev.
The other men’s semifinal guarantees the United States a finalist. Shelton will play Tiafoe in an all-American matchup after both survived five-set quarterfinals.
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