US Open 2026: Achievement unlocked for Rybakina

Rybakina ends Zheng’s inspired run

For Elena Rybakina, it’s a case of one goal down and one more to go.

The second seed overcame Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to reach her first US Open semi-final and secure her rise to the world No.1 spot when the new rankings are released on Monday.

It’s a historic feat for the 27-year-old, who is the first player from Kazakhstan – man or woman – to be ranked No.1 in the world in tennis.

A two-time major winner already, at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, Rybakina is proud of her achievement but insists that she is keeping her eye on the prize as she switches her focus to her Thursday semi-final showdown with fourth-seeded Gauff.

“It means a lot, of course, but as I was saying before, I don't think about it so much,” said Rybakina of her rise to No.1.

“It's a great achievement, and I feel like you will appreciate and think about it even more when you finish your career.

“Like now, you still need to keep on going, and it's nice whenever you're done to say, ‘Okay, I won these tournaments, I've been No.1, it's amazing’, but right now it's great. You never know how long you're going to stay. It's still many things. I want to win the titles still in the tournaments, so all my thoughts are just for the next match.”

Rybakina did not have her best serving day as she landed just 55 percent of her first serves in but she won 80 percent of the points behind that first delivery.

The Kazakh big-hitter said she had too many negative thoughts at the start of the match and had to let out her emotions during a conversation with her team at the end of the first set in order to find her focus and complete the comeback.

For Zheng, it was a positive US Open as the world No.121 managed to claim seven victories in a row through qualifying and the main draw to reach the quarter-finals. The former world No.4 had been struggling since her return from elbow surgery in February but showcased in New York the kind of form and grit that helped her reach an Australian Open final two and a half years ago and claim Olympic gold in Paris.

“I think the good thing is I know how to compete better than before than the beginning of the year. In the beginning of the year, I was a bit totally out of tournament rhythm, and obviously this tournament helps me to find myself little by little,” said the Chinese star who has more than halved her ranking by virtue of making the quarters of the US Open (she’ll move up to just outside the top-50.

Inspired by Tiafoe, Gauff fights from the brink

Two-time major winner Coco Gauff was staring down defeat in her quarter-final clash with Roland-Garros champion Mirra Andreeva but willed her way to a 2-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 victory, saving two match points along the way.

So how did she pull it off?

With a little inspiration from her compatriot Frances Tiafoe, who came back from two sets to love down against Alex Michelsen the day before to advance to the semi-finals.

“I think I just had to reset. I came out not feeling the ball, giving her too many free points, and you know, Mirra was playing a great level. But I think in the restroom, I'm going to be honest, I was thinking about Frances Tiafoe and how he came back yesterday. So we all want to do well in front of this crowd. I was just trying to literally leave the court with no regrets,” Gauff said during her on-court interview.

The 2023 US Open champion later added in her press conference: “Honestly, I didn't know how the third set would go, but I was just really focused on trying not to lose that second set and keep it competitive. You know, one point turned into another. Honestly, once the third set started, I felt pretty confident that I was going to come out with that one.

“Sometimes you just need a little bit of inspiration, and Frances was that for me in that moment.”

The 22-year-old is through to her seventh Grand Slam semi-final and second in New York.

Zverev completes 2026 set of major semis

After making the semi-finals at the Australian Open, winning a maiden Grand Slam crown at Roland-Garros, and reaching the Wimbledon final, top-seeded Alexander Zverev rolled into the US Open semi-finals on Wednesday with a 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 victory over Botic van de Zandschulp.

The German world No.2 is through to the 13th major semi-final of his career and third in New York (first since 2021), and is the only Grand Slam champion left in the draw.

“I think the person who's going to win here is going to be the one that plays the best tennis. It's sometimes as simple as that,” said Zverev of being the only major winner among the four semi-finalists.

“Yes, there are nerves, there are things that go on through your head when you try to win your first major. I have been there. Trust me, I have had every single thought that there can be in your head.

“But I think, at the end of the day, good tennis will prevail, and we'll see who that will be on Friday and then also on Sunday.”

It wasn’t the cleanest match from Zverev, who hit 22 winners and 28 unforced errors but he got the job done in under two and a half hours to claim a tour-leading 51st victory of the season.

Meanwhile, Karen Khachanov spent less than two hours on court as he secured passage to the final four when his opponent Alexander Blockx retired with a back injury while trailing 6-2, 7-5, 3-2.

Blockx felt the injury during the second set and received two medical timeouts but was unable to complete the contest, sending Khachanov into the third major semi-final of his career and second at Flushing Meadows.

“Every Grand Slam, every big stage, you want to do well. This is what we've been dreaming of as a kid, you know, to play on the further stages of this event, that one day it can come,” said Khachanov, who is now seeking a maiden Grand Slam final.

“It came already a couple of times. That's why I think it's a little bit moment of appreciation, and at the same time, ambition and motivation for what's coming next.”