Elena Rybakina beats Coco Gauff to reach US Open final and seal world No. 1 ranking

What happened?

Elena Rybakina has booked her place in her first US Open final, overcoming a partisan New York crowd and a sluggish start to defeat American fourth seed Coco Gauff. The 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory on Friday sets up a blockbuster championship match against Aryna Sabalenka.

But the final is only half the story. By reaching the semi-finals earlier in the week, Rybakina had already guaranteed that she will become the new world No. 1 when the WTA rankings are updated on Monday. She will end Sabalenka’s 99-week reign at the top of women's tennis, becoming the first player representing Kazakhstan to reach the summit.

How Rybakina beat Gauff

Rybakina did not have it easy inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. Gauff started with typical intensity, moving brilliantly to capture the first set 6-3 while the Kazakhstani struggled to find her rhythm and her usually devastating serve.

But Rybakina, who has developed a reputation for cool problem-solving under pressure, adjusted her tactics. In the second set, she began finding sharper angles to stretch Gauff’s defence, racing to a 4-1 lead. Gauff’s forehand began to fracture, ultimately leaking 15 unforced errors. Rybakina took the second set and carried that momentum into the third, where her big first serve finally clicked.

There was a late twist. Serving for the match at 5-3, Rybakina faltered, allowing Gauff to break back and send the crowd into raptures. But Rybakina instantly recovered, breaking Gauff in the very next game to secure her place in Saturday's showpiece.

"I took a deep breath and just told myself I needed to fight and show good tennis," Rybakina said.

The path to No. 1

Rybakina's ascent to the top spot was officially clinched on Wednesday in another tense three-setter. She defeated China’s Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the quarter-finals, surviving a break point at 3-4 in the decider before reeling off the final three games.

Despite the milestone, Rybakina remains focused on silverware rather than statistics. "It's just a number right now," she said. "My goal is to win the tournaments which I play."

Her rise comes at the end of a highly consistent 2026 season in which she has won 47 matches—second only to Jessica Pegula’s 50. It is a remarkable achievement, particularly given the off-court distraction of a coaching investigation. Her coach, Stefano Vukov, was banned by the WTA in early 2025 following allegations of abusive conduct, but was reinstated on appeal in August 2025 and has been by her side in New York.

What happens next?

Saturday's final is a dream matchup between the top two seeds, a feat not seen in a US Open women's final since Serena Williams played Victoria Azarenka in 2013.

Standing in Rybakina’s way is Sabalenka, the reigning champion who beat Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the other semi-final. Sabalenka is attempting to become only the third woman in the Open era to win three consecutive US Open singles titles.

While Sabalenka holds a 10-7 lead in their career head-to-head, Rybakina won their most significant recent meeting, defeating the Belarusian to claim the Australian Open title in January.