New York, United States, September 10, 2026: Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan has reached the semi-finals of the women’s singles at the US Open for the first time in her career and has become the world’s number one.
Rybakina edged Zheng Qinwen of China, Paris 2024 Olympics gold medallist, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 on Wednesday, September 9, guaranteeing she will become No.1 in the WTA rankings.
Rybakina is the first tennis player from Kazakhstan to top the world rankings in singles.
The Australian Open champion will face No.4 Coco Gauf or No.5 Mirra Andreeva in the semi-finals. Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka will play No.3 Jessica Pegula in the other semi-final.
But, no matter what happens, Rybakina will end Sabalenka’s 99-week reign at No.1 when the new rankings are announced on Monday, September 14.
“It’s just a number right now and, of course, I’m in the semis so my goal is to win the tournament,” Rybakina said. “It’s an amazing achievement but you know how quick everything can change in tennis, ranking-wise, during the match, so I feel like I just need to focus on my game, try to recover and enjoy tomorrow.”