Rybakina dethrones Sabalenka, sets up US Open final — SkimNews
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- Elena Rybakina rallied past Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals, setting up a US Open final against the world's top seed
- Aryna Sabalenka beat Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the first semifinal, pounding 29 winners to Pegula's 12 and extending her US Open winning streak to 19 straight matches
- Sabalenka will lose the No. 1 WTA ranking to Rybakina on Monday after holding the top spot for 99 consecutive weeks, regardless of Saturday's final result
- Sabalenka is seeking a third consecutive US Open title — something no woman has achieved since Serena Williams from 2012-14
- Rybakina needed only to reach the semifinals to clinch the No. 1 ranking, and earlier this season she beat Sabalenka to win the Australian Open
- The top four seeds all reached the women's semifinals for the first time since 1975, though Rybakina, Sabalenka, and Gauff have won multiple majors while Pegula is still seeking her first
- Pegula called Sabalenka's semifinal performance "probably the best match she's played this year" and said her level was "insanely high"
Why it matters: Sabalenka surrenders the No. 1 ranking she held for 99 consecutive weeks — but can still cement a legacy by completing a US Open three-peat no woman has managed since Serena Williams in 2012-14. Saturday's final is also a rematch of January's Australian Open, which Rybakina won.
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