Elena Rybakina secured the world No. 1 ranking for the first time in her career and advanced to the semi-finals of the US Open by defeating Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. The victory marks a major career milestone for the 27-year-old, who becomes just the 30th player in the history of the WTA to reach the top ranking.
The Path to No. 1 and Ending Sabalenka’s Reign
Rybakina’s ascent to the top spot ends Aryna Sabalenka’s extended spell at the summit of women’s tennis. Sabalenka held the No. 1 position for 99 consecutive weeks—marking the sixth-longest consecutive reign in history—and 107 weeks in total. Rybakina entered the tournament in New York knowing the top ranking was entirely in her hands, with a run to the semi-finals guaranteeing the achievement from the start.
The achievement follows a difficult period during last year’s North American hard court swing, when Rybakina fell out of the top 10 while struggling with her health and form. Since then, she captured her second grand slam title at the Australian Open earlier in the year, following her triumph at Wimbledon, and claimed a WTA Finals victory in November. She also secured titles in Ningbo and Stuttgart alongside runner-up finishes in Indian Wells and Toronto.
Overcoming Injury Obstacles in New York
Rybakina’s progression to the semi-finals in New York required overcoming a significant physical setback just weeks before the tournament. She was forced to retire from her quarter-final match against Iga Świątek at the Cincinnati Open due to an Achilles injury only 12 days before her opening round at Flushing Meadows. Rybakina stated that she could not train for seven days and was uncertain how her body would hold up.
“We had to really go day by day,” Rybakina said. “It’s an amazing progress. I’m really glad how everything worked out. We didn’t even know if I’m going to be able to play or not.”
Historically, the US Open has stood as Rybakina’s most challenging major, with a fourth-round loss last year representing her previous best result at the tournament. Entering the quarterfinal match, she had won just 57 percent of her matches at the event.
Match Analysis Against Zheng Qinwen
The quarterfinal clash pitted two of the biggest servers on the WTA tour against one another. Both players struggled to land their first serves cleanly in the opening set, with neither managing a first-serve percentage above 50. Zheng utilized her confidence from previous comeback victories over Madison Keys and Świątek to capitalize on a sloppy service game from Rybakina, capturing the first set 6-3.
Rybakina responded decisively in the second set, raising her first-serve success rate to 58 percent while Zheng’s dropped to 38 percent. Rybakina broke Zheng twice to cruise to a 6-1 victory and force a deciding third set.
The final set remained tightly contested until the ninth game, when Rybakina finally broke Zheng’s serve. Holding a 5-4 lead, Rybakina served out the match cleanly to seal the victory. Zheng generated a dangerous break point at 4-3 in the third set, but missed a backhand long after a tentative approach shot, allowing Rybakina to slam the door shut with strong serving.
Looking Ahead
Reflecting on her historic ascent after the match, Rybakina maintained a grounded perspective, telling reporters that the milestone is “just a number right now” as she turns her focus toward the semi-finals. Having already secured titles at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, Rybakina remains in contention to capture her first US Open crown and add a third Grand Slam trophy to her resume.