Elena Rybakina has reached the US Open final after fighting back to defeat American fourth seed Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a tense semi-final.
The victory means the Kazakh second seed will face defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s final, setting up a clash between the tournament’s top two seeds.
Rybakina is also guaranteed to become the new world number one when the rankings are updated on Monday, ending Sabalenka’s 99-week run at the summit.
Sabalenka booked her place in the final after overpowering home favourite Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2. The Belarusian is now one victory away from becoming only the third woman in the Open Era to win the US Open singles title three consecutive times.
Rybakina, however, will be seeking to add to Sabalenka’s disappointment by claiming another Grand Slam victory over her. The 27-year-old defeated Sabalenka in the Australian Open final in January and previously won the Wimbledon title in 2022.
Reflecting on her comeback against Gauff, Rybakina said she remained focused on fighting her way back into the contest despite the pressure from the home crowd.
The final will be the first US Open women’s singles championship match between the top two seeds since Serena Williams defeated Victoria Azarenka in the 2013 final.
