US Open 2026 - Final. 24 August – 12 September 2026
| Round | Opponent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| First round | Thea Frodin | Win | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Second round | Jessica Bouzas Maneiro | Win | 6–2, 6–4 |
| Third round | Yuliia Starodubtseva | Win | 7–6(6), 6–3 |
| Fourth round | Naomi Osaka | Win | 6–1, 6–4 |
| Quarterfinal | Zheng Qinwen | Win | 3–6, 6–1, 6–4 |
| Semifinal | Coco Gauff | Win | 3:6, 6:4, 6:4 |
| Final | Aryna Sabalenka | Scheduled |
How the tournament unfolded
Week one
Rybakina opened against the American Thea Frodin, then came past Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. The third round brought Yuliia Starodubtseva - the player who had knocked her out in the second round of Roland Garros in May. This time the revenge went through.
Fourth round: beating Naomi Osaka
The match against two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka was among the most discussed of the first week. Rybakina won it and reached her first quarterfinal in New York, having never gone beyond the fourth round here before 2026.
Quarterfinal: 3–6, 6–1, 6–4 against Zheng Qinwen
On 9 September on Arthur Ashe Stadium Rybakina lost the opening set and turned the match around - the third time this season she has beaten Zheng after dropping the first set. The win secured the No. 1 ranking regardless of what happened in the semifinal.
“Right now the No. 1 spot is just a number,” Rybakina said afterwards, adding that the main battle during the match had been “inside myself”.
Semifinal: 3–6, 6–4, 6–4 against Coco Gauff
Her semifinal opponent was Coco Gauff: the American came through against Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals, 2–6, 7–6(7), 6–2, saving two match points along the way. The match was second on in the night session on 10 September at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Rybakina lost the opening set but won 3–6, 6–4, 6–4 - as against Zheng Qinwen in the quarterfinals, she came back from a set down.
In the other semifinal Aryna Sabalenka beat Jessica Pegula 7–5, 6–2. It was the first time since 1975 that the top four seeds all reached the US Open semifinals, and the final brings together the first and second seeds.
Final: Aryna Sabalenka
The final is on 12 September at 4:00 p.m. New York time - 9:00 p.m. in the UK and 1:00 a.m. on 13 September in Astana. It is Rybakina's first US Open final and the fourth Grand Slam final of her career. She has met Sabalenka in two major finals before, both in Melbourne: she lost in 2023 and won in 2026, 6–4, 4–6, 6–4. Rybakina takes over the WTA No. 1 ranking with the update of 14 September whatever happens in the final.
Women's singles semifinals
| Half of the draw | Players | How they got there |
|---|---|---|
| Top half | Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs Jessica Pegula (3) | Sabalenka beat Linda Nosková, Pegula beat Emma Navarro |
| Bottom half | Elena Rybakina (2) vs Coco Gauff (4) | Rybakina beat Zheng Qinwen, Gauff beat Mirra Andreeva |
US Open history
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Semifinal - her best result at the tournament |
| 2025 | Fourth round |
| 2019–2024 | Never past the fourth round |
The US Open was long her most awkward major: New York's heat and humidity are hard on players with her build, and the fast hard court suits her opponents as much as it suits her. The 2026 edition broke that pattern.
Highlights
Where to watch
ESPN holds the rights in the United States; elsewhere the tournament is shown by regional rights holders and streamed on usopen.org. The full breakdown is on the where to watch page.
New York conditions and why they are hard
The US Open runs from late August into September, when New York is humid and heavy. Day matches on outside courts are played at close to thirty degrees with humidity above 60%, and the physical cost of a three-set match is higher here than at any other major.
For larger players that is a particular problem: greater mass means slower heat dissipation. This was long the explanation for why Rybakina, with her build and her serve, had never gone beyond the fourth round in New York while winning a title at cool, breezy Wimbledon.
The surface is the second factor. New York's hard courts are faster than Melbourne's, the bounce is lower and the ball travels sharper. That helps servers - but it also helps her opponents: defence stops rescuing points, and her own return gets less time too.
Tournament format
The US Open is the fourth and final Grand Slam of the calendar. The singles draw holds 128 players, 32 of them seeded; matches are best of three sets, with a ten-point tie-break at 6–6 in the deciding set. The champion earns 2,000 ranking points - the maximum available at a single event.
The main court, Arthur Ashe Stadium, seats nearly 24,000 and has a retractable roof. The night session there begins at 7:00 p.m. local time and normally holds two matches - the format used for the women's semifinals.
Big matches
Tournament news
- Rybakina beats Gauff to reach the US Open finalSeptember 11, 2026
- Tonight, the US Open semifinal: Rybakina against Coco GauffSeptember 11, 2026
- Gauff vs Andreeva decided Rybakina's semifinal opponentSeptember 10, 2026
- Rybakina becomes world No. 1 - a first for KazakhstanSeptember 9, 2026
- Rybakina beats Naomi Osaka in the US Open fourth roundSeptember 7, 2026
- Third round: revenge against Yuliia StarodubtsevaSeptember 5, 2026
Frequently asked questions
How did Rybakina do at the US Open 2026?
She reached her first US Open semifinal, beating Thea Frodin, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Yuliia Starodubtseva, Naomi Osaka and Zheng Qinwen.
Who did Rybakina play in the US Open 2026 semifinal?
Coco Gauff, and she won 3–6, 6–4, 6–4. Gauff had reached the last four by beating Mirra Andreeva 2–6, 7–6(7), 6–2 in the quarterfinals.
Who does Rybakina play in the US Open 2026 final?
Aryna Sabalenka. The final is on 12 September at 4:00 p.m. New York time, which is 1:00 a.m. on 13 September in Astana.
Did Rybakina become world No. 1 at the US Open?
Yes. Her quarterfinal win over Zheng Qinwen secured the top ranking from the update of 14 September 2026.