Rybakina Stops Gauff, Sabalenka Beats Pegula to Set Up U.S. Open Final

Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula were knocked out in the U.S. Open semifinals on Thursday night, leaving Saturday's women's final to Elena Rybakina and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, the two players at the top of the world rankings.

Rybakina came from a set down to beat Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, while Sabalenka overpowered Pegula 7-5, 6-2. The results end American hopes in the women's draw and set up a final between the incoming world No. 1 and the player she is replacing.

Gauff's fast start fades

Gauff, the 2023 champion, looked in full control early. She won the opening set in 38 minutes and served four aces in it.

Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion who represents Kazakhstan, regrouped in the second set. She fell behind 4-1, clawed back to 4-4 and went on to take the set 6-4, forcing a decider.

The third set stayed tight into its closing stages, when Rybakina's serve held up under pressure and she closed out the win.

Rybakina had already locked up the No. 1 ranking by reaching the semifinals. She will move to the top when the rankings update after the tournament, ending Sabalenka's run of 99 weeks at No. 1. Looking back on her season, Rybakina acknowledged she "didn't really perform well in the middle of the season."

Sabalenka too strong for Pegula

Sabalenka, the top seed, gave Pegula very little. She hit 29 winners, won 14 of 19 points on Pegula's second serve and faced only one break point all night.

The win stretched Sabalenka's winning streak at the U.S. Open to 19 matches. Her last loss in New York came in the 2023 final against Gauff. She won the title in 2024, beating Pegula in the final, and won it again in 2025.

Pegula kept the first set close, but once Sabalenka broke through to take it 7-5, the second set slipped away quickly.

A rare final four

This was the first time since 1975 that the top four seeds all reached the women's semifinals at the U.S. Open. With two Americans in that group, home fans had real hope of seeing a U.S. finalist, which made Thursday's results a disappointment.

For Gauff, the loss ends a strong run and a bid for a second U.S. Open title. For Pegula, it is another deep run in New York that stopped one match short of the final.

American fans still have a stake in the weekend. On the men's side, Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe meet in Friday's semifinals, guaranteeing that a U.S. man will play for the title on Sunday.

What happens next

Saturday's final brings together the two players who have set the pace in women's tennis. Sabalenka is chasing a third straight U.S. Open title, a feat last achieved by Serena Williams, who won three in a row from 2012 to 2014.

Rybakina is playing for her first U.S. Open title. The two have met in a major final before: Sabalenka beat her in the 2023 Australian Open final to win her first Grand Slam championship.

Whatever happens on Saturday, Rybakina will take over the No. 1 ranking when the new list is published next week.

Image: Ocoudis via Wikimedia Commons, CC0