Rybakina reaches US Open semis, secures WTA No. 1 ranking

Elena Rybakina has reached her first US Open semifinal and secured the WTA world number one ranking after defeating Zheng Qinwen in a hard-fought quarterfinal match. Rybakina overcame a challenging start to defeat the unseeded Chinese player 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, ensuring she will ascend to the top of the women's tennis rankings when they are released on Monday. This achievement marks the end of Aryna Sabalenka's 99-week reign as world number one. Rybakina, who is 27 years old, expressed that while the number one ranking is a significant accomplishment, her primary focus remains on winning Grand Slam titles. She is now set to face American Coco Gauff in the semifinal round. Zheng Qinwen's spirited run in the tournament came to an end, but her performance was notable. She entered the main draw through qualifying after undergoing elbow surgery, which had caused her ranking to drop. Despite this, she managed to reach the quarterfinals, a significant turnaround that guarantees her return to the top 60. Her path to the quarterfinals included impressive comeback victories, notably overcoming deficits against Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek.