NEW YORK — The 2026 US Open delivered a night of high drama at Flushing Meadows as men's favorite Alexander Zverev powered into the semifinals, while Elena Rybakina celebrated a monumental double achievement—securing her first-ever US Open semifinal appearance and officially clinching the WTA World No. 1 ranking.
Rybakina's breakthrough victory sets up an explosive, high-stakes semifinal battle against American star Coco Gauff, who staged a heroic comeback to keep her title defense alive.
Zverev Dominates Van de Zandschulp to Reach Semis
Men’s contender Alexander Zverev moved within two wins of claiming his second Grand Slam trophy of the season with a commanding 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 victory over Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.
Despite an erratic start at Arthur Ashe Stadium that saw the German cough up five double faults on serve, Zverev quickly stabilized his baseline play. After grinding out a competitive second set, the 2020 Flushing Meadows runner-up dominated the third set, firing an emphatic overhead smash to break early before cruising to a straight-sets finish.
Zverev now advances to his third career US Open semifinal, where he will square off against Karen Khachanov, who advanced following Alexander Blockx's retirement during their quarterfinal match.
Rybakina Claims World No. 1 Spot in Comeback Win
In the women’s singles quarterfinal, Second Seed Elena Rybakina mounted a fierce comeback to defeat China's Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
After dropping the opening set to a sharp Zheng, Rybakina recalibrated her game, winning 80% of her first-serve points (32-for-40) and dominating the second set. In a nail-biting final set tied at 4-3 in Zheng’s favor, Rybakina reeled off three consecutive games—punctuated by a decisive break in the ninth game—to seal the victory.
The triumph guarantees that Rybakina will overtake Aryna Sabalenka as the new WTA World No. 1 when the updated rankings are released on Monday.
"It's just a number right now and, of course, I'm in the semis, so my goal is to win the tournament," Rybakina said after the match. "Mostly you think about the titles at the end of the day, and I'm glad to be in this position."
Gauff Saves Match Points in Epic Turnaround
Defending champion Coco Gauff showed champion-caliber resolve on home soil, surviving a nerve-shredding encounter against teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva to win 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2.
Gauff endured a disastrous opening set, falling behind 4-0 early amid a barrage of 12 double faults and unforced errors. However, the American showed incredible poise in the second-set tiebreak, saving two match points down 5-6 and 6-7 before winning three straight points to force a deciding third set.
Riding the wave of energy from the New York crowd, Gauff dominated the third set to complete the two-hour, 19-minute turnaround and extend her winning streak to 10 consecutive matches.
"I just had to reset," Gauff reflected after the match. "I came out not feeling the ball, giving her too many free points. Mirra was playing at a great level, but I fought through."
Looking ahead to her semifinal encounter with Rybakina, Gauff added: "Elena is the new World No. 1, so it’s going to be a tough match. These are the moments you live for, and I'm excited for the battle."
