Elena Rybakina has become the new world No. 1 after fighting back to defeat Qinwen Zheng 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the US Open quarterfinals.
Rybakina, who started the tournament as the No. 2 seed, overcame a slow start before taking control of the match. The victory sends her into her first-ever US Open semifinal and makes her the 30th woman in WTA history to reach the top of the rankings.
The Kazakh star will officially become world No. 1 when the rankings are updated on Monday, ending Aryna Sabalenka’s 99-week reign at the top.
Rybakina has enjoyed an outstanding year. She is the reigning Australian Open champion and WTA Finals champion, and also won the Stuttgart title and reached the finals in Indian Wells and Toronto. She now has 47 wins in 2026.
Despite achieving the biggest ranking milestone of her career, Rybakina is keeping her focus on the tournament itself.
“It’s just a number right now. Of course I’m in the semis, so my goal is to win any tournament I play. I’ll go one match at a time and it’s an amazing achievement.”
Rybakina will face either Coco Gauff or Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals as she continues her pursuit of a third Grand Slam title.
