Elena Rybakina has reached the semifinals of the US Open for the first time in her career, defeating Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to secure a spot in the last four at Flushing Meadows — and, as of Monday, the world number one ranking. The Kazakh second seed, who won Wimbledon in 2022 and the Australian Open earlier this year, is now one win away from a potential third Grand Slam title.

Rybakina's path to the semifinals included a commanding fourth-round demolition of former two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka, whom she dispatched 6-1, 6-4 in just 66 minutes. Against Zheng, she repeated a pattern that has defined their rivalry this season: surrendering the opening set before raising her level markedly. Rybakina sharpened her serve and reduced her errors in the second and third sets, while Zheng — once ranked as high as fourth in the world before an elbow injury sent her sliding down the rankings far enough to require qualifying at this year's tournament — could not sustain her early momentum. A double fault at a critical moment in the third set proved decisive.

In the other quarterfinal, American home favourite Coco Gauff survived a dramatic scare against Russia's Mirra Andrejeva, recovering from a first-set collapse and saving two match points in a tense second-set tiebreak before running out a 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2 winner. Gauff, who had won all five of her previous meetings with Andrejeva, will now face Rybakina in the semifinals. The other semifinal will pit current world number one Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus against American Jessica Pegula.

The significance of Rybakina's run extends well beyond the tournament itself. Her ascent to the top of the world rankings marks a landmark moment for Kazakhstani tennis. Though born in Moscow, she has represented Kazakhstan since 2018 under a national federation programme. The semifinal lineup — featuring players from Kazakhstan, the United States, Belarus, and the United States again — reflects the genuinely global spread at the top of the women's game. For Rybakina, the final opportunity to add a third major title, and to consolidate her new position at the summit of the sport, now lies just two matches away.