Elena Rybakina is set to ascend to the world number one ranking this coming Monday after a hard-fought victory over China’s Zheng Qinwen at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday. Despite a shaky start, Rybakina overcame early errors to dismantle Zheng’s defenses, ultimately prevailing 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. Reflecting on the milestone, Rybakina admitted it was difficult to find the right words, noting that while her performance might not have reached her highest level, she was satisfied with her ability to push through the challenge.
The women’s draw has reached a historic milestone, with the top four seeds—Aryna Sabalenka, Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, and Coco Gauff—all advancing to the semifinals. This marks the first occasion since Wimbledon 2009 that the four top-seeded women have reached the final four of a Grand Slam. Gauff, the 2023 champion, secured her spot by overcoming a dismal start against Russian fifth seed Mirra Andreeva, eventually winning 2-6, 7-6(7), 6-2. Drawing motivation from Frances Tiafoe’s comeback the previous evening, Gauff saved two match points in the second-set tiebreak to keep her title defense alive.
Looking ahead to the semifinal clash, Gauff acknowledged the difficulty of the task, stating that she is looking forward to the battle against the incoming world number one. “These are the moments you live for,” she added. The matchup promises to be a marquee event as both players seek a place in the final.
In the men’s draw, Alexander Zverev delivered a dominant performance, dispatching Botic van de Zandschulp 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 in quick fashion. The German top seed is now scheduled to face Karen Khachanov in the next round. Khachanov advanced after his opponent, Alexander Blockx, was forced to retire from the match while trailing 6-2, 7-5, 3-2. These results follow a dramatic day at Flushing Meadows, where Ben Shelton eliminated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a late-night thriller. The report also notes that losing 3-6 6-1 6-4 as Rybakina chipped away at her defences after overcoming early mistakes at Arthur Ashe Stadium, zheng had earned a reputation as a comeback artist at Flushing Meadows but ran out of gas on Wednesday.
