The US Open women’s semifinals are set, and you couldn’t ask for a better schedule of play on Thursday in New York.
On Wednesday, Coco Gauff saved two match points to beat Mirra Andreeva, completing the semifinal line-up and booking a clash with Elena Rybakina.
Rybakina and Gauff joined Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula in the final four, ensuring that for the first time since 1975, the top four women’s seeds are into the US Open semifinals.
It’s a quartet ensuring a wealth of fascinating storylines as we arrive at the business end of the tournament.
Historic consistency
The women’s tournament had already seen the top six seeds progress to the quarterfinals for the first time at Flushing Meadows since 1998.
The outliers were 2024 semifinalist Emma Navarro – seeded 26th as she makes her way back from health battles – and former world No.4 Zheng Qinwen, the 2024 Olympic gold medallist who’d come through the qualifying rounds after elbow surgery.
The stacked field meant memorable quarterfinals, which all extended to three sets. It was just the fourth time in the Open era this occurred at a women’s major and the first time in more than a decade.
The victors all rebounded from precarious positions, none more so than Gauff, who extended her head-to-head record against Andreeva to 6-0.
At just 22, Gauff is already through to a seventh Grand Slam semifinal. The last time she made it this far in New York was in 2023, where she went on to win the title. Just like three years ago, she won the WTA Cincinnati title leading in and carries an 11-match winning streak into her semifinal against Rybakina.
“Elena is playing some great tennis. Congrats to her for being the new world No.1 or will be the new world No.1. I think that's incredible,” said Gauff, who revealed she was inspired by Frances Tiafoe’s comeback victory a day earlier on the same court.
“I know I'm going to have some aces hit on me and some winners hit on me, but I'm going to keep fighting and give it my all. That's all I can do.”
Rybakina rises to the top
As Gauff noted, Rybakina will become world No.1 when the new WTA rankings are released on Monday.
She becomes the 30th woman in history to reach the summit, snapping Sabalenka’s uninterrupted 99-week stint in the position.
Rybakina lost the first set and faced a break point at 3-4, 30-40 in the third set against Zheng, who’d beaten Iga Swiatek in the fourth round for her seventh straight win in New York.
But the second seed played surely and confidently to the finish line to seal a spot in her first US Open semifinal.
“Very difficult match. Very stressful… A lot of thoughts were going through the head in the beginning, but glad that I managed to find a way,” Rybakina admitted.
“[No.1 is] a great achievement, and I feel like you will appreciate and think about it even more when you finish your career… it's nice whenever you're done to say, ‘OK, I won these tournaments, I've been No.1, it's amazing.’
“I want to win the titles still in the tournaments, so all my thoughts are just for the next match.”
Having barely played Gauff in a professional match – until a few weeks ago they’d only faced each other once, in 2022 – Rybakina now lines up against the American for the second time within a month.
Rybakina overcame Gauff in the Toronto semifinals and will attempt to repeat the feat on Thursday night.
Sabalenka’s stunning stats
That match will follow the first women’s semifinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium between Sabalenka and Pegula, a rematch of their thrilling clash at the same stage last year.
Sabalenka may have lost her No.1 ranking, but the two-time defending champion remains on course for a rare US Open three-peat, something only Chris Evert and Serena Williams have achieved in the Open era.
What’s more, a win over Pegula would send Sabalenka into an eighth consecutive hardcourt major final, something no player – man or woman – has done in the Open era.
“Jessica really challenging player to play against,” said a resurgent Sabalenka, targeting her first tournament final since winning Miami in March.
“I can say that she really improved a lot in last couple of years, improved her game, really putting me under so much pressure.
“But I'm loving playing against her, because it's a battle, because it's a fight, and I love being under pressure and going through tough challenges.
“So playing against her, it's going to be really high-intensity level of tennis. I'm super excited.”
Pegula closing in on first major
While the three other semifinalists are all multiple major winners, Pegula is still seeking her first Grand Slam singles title.
She’s been close, reaching the US Open final in 2024 and the semis in 2025, both times falling to Sabalenka.
Now into her third straight semifinal at Flushing Meadows at age 32, she’ll attempt to halt Sabalenka’s 18-match US Open winning streak.
4 - Jessica Pegula has become the first player in the Open Era to reach her first four career Grand Slam semi-finals after turning 30. Evergreen.#USOpen | @usopen @WTA pic.twitter.com/YYt5tDLnKR
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) September 9, 2026
They’ve split their past four meetings, with all four extending to three sets.
“She's gotten me here the last couple of years. I have been able to beat her a few times, maybe on a smaller stage, so I think that's going to be kind of a hurdle for me to get over,” said Pegula, lining up for her fourth major semifinal.
“But at the same time, I think it's fun. We've challenged each other. I know that she's definitely pushed me to become a better player, so I always respect and appreciate that aspect of our rivalry.”