New York, September 2026 : Elena Rybakina fought back from a set down to defeat American Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the US Open women's singles semifinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday, securing a place in her first final at Flushing Meadows.
The second-seeded Rybakina, who has already secured the world No. 1 ranking, overcame a slow start before taking control of the contest and sealing victory in two hours and eight minutes.
Gauff made the stronger start, securing the only break of the opening set in the sixth game. The American held her serve comfortably thereafter to take the first set 6-3 and put Rybakina under early pressure.
The Kazakh responded strongly in the second set. She broke Gauff in the fourth game and moved into a 4-1 lead. Gauff, however, refused to give up and levelled the set at 4-4.
Rybakina remained composed and earned another break in the 10th game to close out the set 6-4 and force a decider.
The third set remained closely contested, with both players producing powerful baseline exchanges. Rybakina missed two break-point opportunities in the sixth game but made the most of another chance in the eighth to move 5-3 ahead.
Gauff immediately fought back. At 30-30 in the ninth game, she produced a superb backhand passing shot to earn her first break point of the deciding set and converted it to bring the set back on serve.
Rybakina, though, maintained her composure. She broke Gauff again in the 10th game to complete a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory and book a showdown with defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.
The victory continued Rybakina's strong run against Gauff this season. She had also defeated the American in the Toronto semifinal in August, coming from a set down to win 5-7, 6-2, 6-2. Rybakina now leads their overall head-to-head 2-1.
Sabalenka, meanwhile, advanced to her fourth consecutive US Open final after beating third-seeded Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the other semifinal. The Belarusian has extended her US Open winning streak to 20 matches and is chasing a third straight title in New York.
Sabalenka's victory also marked another milestone in her Grand Slam career, as she reached her ninth major final overall. The final will pit the defending champion against Rybakina, who will enter the match as the newly crowned world No. 1.
The two players have already produced several high-profile encounters, including major finals. Rybakina defeated Sabalenka in the 2026 Australian Open final, while Sabalenka won their 2023 Australian Open championship clash.
With Rybakina reaching her first US Open final and Sabalenka seeking a third consecutive title, the championship match promises another major chapter in their growing rivalry.
