Kazakhstan tennis star Alena Rybakina has reached the final of the women's singles at the US Open 2026. World No. 1 Rybakina defeated American Coco Gauff in a tense three-set match with a score of 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
In the semi-final, held at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday (September 11), the fourth seed Gauff initially took the advantage, but Rybakina managed to prevail in the two subsequent sets to win the match.
Coco Gauff started the match very aggressively and exerted constant pressure on Alena Rybakina, winning the first set 6-3. However, Rybakina adjusted her tactics, improving her baseline play and utilizing her serve, after which she began to regain the initiative.
In the second set, both athletes engaged in a fierce battle, but Alena Rybakina maintained her composure in critical moments and won the set 6-4, leveling the chances. In the third set, she continued to maintain her pace and won 6-4, securing her place in the final.
This victory is particularly significant for Alena Rybakina, as she had previously been unable to advance past the fourth round of the US Open. This time, she demonstrated outstanding play in New York, reaching the final. Before the semi-finals, Rybakina also defeated Naomi Osaka, a two-time US Open champion, and in the quarter-finals, she had to fight three sets against Qinwen Zheng. The victory over Gauff was her second consecutive win against this athlete; last month she also beat Gauff in the semi-finals in Toronto, losing one set to her.
In the final, Alena Rybakina will face reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka reached the final after defeating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the first semi-final, thus qualifying for the US Open final for the fourth consecutive time. Thus, the players ranked number one and number two in the world will meet in the final. After reaching the semi-finals, Rybakina secured the number one spot in the world rankings, while Sabalenka will step onto the court to challenge the holder of that title.