Elena Rybakina rallied past Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 on Wednesday to reach the U.S. Open semifinals and guarantee she will become the new No. 1 player in the WTA rankings. The second-seeded Rybakina 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.
Rybakina will officially take over the top ranking when the WTA rankings are updated Sept. 14, ending Aryna Sabalenka’s 99-week run at No. 1. She will become the 30th woman in WTA history to reach the top spot and the first player from Kazakhstan, male or female, to hold the No. 1 ranking.
The victory continued a remarkable turnaround for Rybakina, who has produced the strongest season of her career after dealing with injuries and inconsistent form during the previous year. She won the Australian Open in January for her second Grand Slam title, also captured the Stuttgart title and reached finals in Indian Wells and Toronto. Her U.S. Open run is already her best result at the tournament.
Rybakina faced a major test late in the third set when Zheng earned a break point at 4-3, but the Kazakhstani held firm before winning the final three games. Zheng, an Olympic champion who entered the tournament through qualifying after returning from a chronic elbow injury, had defeated Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek on her way to the quarterfinals.
Rybakina will play either fourth-seeded Coco Gauff or fifth-seeded Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals. Despite reaching the milestone, Rybakina said her priority remains winning the tournament, with the opportunity to capture her first U.S. Open championship still ahead.
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