Elena Rybakina defeats Zheng Qinwen to reach US Open semifinals, secures World No. 1 ranking

Elena Rybakina defeated Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 on Wednesday to advance to the US Open semifinals and clinch the WTA world No. 1 ranking. The second‑seeded Kazakh overcame a slow start and a determined challenge from Zheng, closing out the 2‑hour, 14‑minute quarterfinal to earn her first semifinal appearance at Flushing Meadows. When the WTA rankings are updated on Sept. 14, Rybakina will officially assume the top spot, ending Aryna Sabalenka’s 99‑week reign at No. 1. She will become the 30th woman in WTA history to reach the summit and the first player from Kazakhstan—male or female—to hold the ranking. The victory continues a remarkable turnaround for Rybakina, who has produced the best stretch of her career after battling injuries and inconsistent form over the previous year. She captured the Australian Open in January for her second Grand Slam title, also won the Stuttgart event and reached the finals at Indian Wells and Toronto. Her run at this year’s US Open is already her best performance at the tournament. In the third set, Zheng earned a break point at 4‑3, but Rybakina held serve and then won the final three games to seal the match. Zheng, an Olympic champion who reached the main draw via qualifying after returning from a chronic elbow injury, had earlier defeated Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek en route to the quarterfinals. Rybakina will meet either fourth‑seeded Coco Gauff or fifth‑seeded Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals. Despite achieving the No. 1 milestone, she said her priority remains winning the tournament, with the chance to capture her first US Open title still ahead.