US Open: Rybakina denies Gauff to set up blockbuster final against Sabalenka

Elena Rybakina kept Coco Gauff out of the US Open final, grinding past her 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a tough semifinal match at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday night with a packed crowd watching.

Gauff came in hot, mixing a way better serve with some serious confidence on her forehand to take that first set, but Rybakina, the No. 2 seed, regrouped, scraped out the second set tight, and then kind of took over down the stretch in the third. They were locked at 3-3, but then Rybakina found another gear and closed it out over those final two games.

Beyond just making the final, this win means something pretty big: Rybakina’s officially hit No. 1 in the WTA rankings for the first time, bumping Aryna Sabalenka from the top spot.

After the match, talking to ESPN, Rybakina had nothing but good things to say about her opponent, saying, “It’s always rough going up against her, and Gauff’s second serve kept her from getting comfortable”. The 27-year-old mentioned, “I basically had to stop, take a breath, and psych myself up to push through the tougher moments”.

So now Rybakina is heading into Saturday’s final against Sabalenka, basically the new World No. 1, against the player she just knocked off the throne.

Sabalenka locked in her spot earlier that same Thursday, taking down Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the other semifinal, which marks her fourth straight US Open final as she’s hunting for something crazy: three in a row at Flushing Meadows.

Rybakina knows she’s gotta dial up the aggression and get her serve sharper if she wants any shot at stopping Sabalenka from making history, plus grabbing her own third Grand Slam while she’s at it.