Rybakina Stuns Gauff as Sabalenka Storms Into US Open 2026 Final

 

The 2026 US Open women’s singles semi-finals produced a compelling contrast of power and resilience at Arthur Ashe Stadium, with defending champion Aryna Sabalenka marching into another final while Elena Rybakina produced a superb comeback to end Coco Gauff’s hopes. The results set up a blockbuster championship clash between two of the biggest hitters in women’s tennis. 


Sabalenka overwhelms Pegula

Top seed and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka continued her remarkable dominance at Flushing Meadows by defeating third seed Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2.

Pegula stayed with Sabalenka through much of the opening set, but the Belarusian eventually found another gear. Her aggressive baseline hitting began to overwhelm the American, and Sabalenka snatched the crucial moments to take the first set 7-5.

The second set was far more emphatic. Sabalenka broke away from Pegula and never allowed her opponent to regain control, completing victory in just 80 minutes.

Sabalenka produced 29 winners and seven aces, while Pegula managed only 12 winners. The defending champion also faced just one break point and successfully protected her serve throughout the contest. 


The victory extended Sabalenka's extraordinary US Open winning streak to 19 matches and put her into the final for the third consecutive year. She is now one victory away from a historic third straight US Open crown—a feat last achieved by Serena Williams in the Open Era. 


Rybakina turns the tables on Gauff

The second semi-final was a much tighter and more dramatic affair as second seed Elena Rybakina recovered from a set down to defeat fourth seed Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Gauff made an explosive start, taking the opening set 6-3 and appearing in control. But Rybakina gradually settled into the contest, using her powerful serve and penetrating groundstrokes to put increasing pressure on the American.

The Kazakh responded brilliantly in the second set, securing a crucial break and levelling the match at one set apiece.

The deciding set became a tense battle of nerve. Gauff fought desperately to stay alive, but Rybakina remained composed at the crucial moments. The former Wimbledon champion eventually closed out the match 6-4 to reach her first US Open final. 


Gauff defeat was particularly painful after her remarkable quarter-final comeback against Mirra Andreeva, when she had saved two match points before winning 2-6, 7-6(7), 6-2. 


A final packed with intrigue

The championship match will pit Sabalenka's explosive power and New York experience against Rybakina's calm, relentless aggression.

Sabalenka is chasing a third successive US Open title, while Rybakina is bidding for her third Grand Slam championship. Their season has already produced memorable encounters, including finals at the Australian Open and Indian Wells, and they have split their three meetings in 2026. 


The final will also have major ranking implications. Rybakina's run to the final guarantees that she will become the new WTA world No. 1, regardless of the championship result. 


The result also ended American hopes of a homegrown women's singles champion. With both Gauff and Pegula eliminated, there will be no American woman in a Grand Slam singles final for the first time since 2006. 


Women’s singles semi-final results

Aryna Sabalenka bt Jessica Pegula — 7-5, 6-2

Elena Rybakina bt Coco Gauff — 3-6, 6-4, 6-4

The stage is now set for a Sabalenka–Rybakina blockbuster, with the US Open crown and the final Grand Slam title of 2026 at stake on September 12. 


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