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Morning Vibe: Elena Rybakina is into her first US Open final after rallying past Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in Thursday night’s semifinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The result sets up a heavyweight Saturday final against defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. Reuters and Associated Press reporting both confirmed the three-set score and the championship matchup. The stakes are unusually high because Rybakina is also set to replace Sabalenka at No. 1 in the WTA rankings after the tournament.
Gauff started better, but Rybakina changed the match
Gauff took the opening set 6-3 and initially did an effective job extending rallies, absorbing Rybakina’s pace and making the incoming world No. 1 hit extra balls. The American’s defensive speed and ability to redirect pressure gave her the early advantage.
Rybakina responded by stabilizing her game in the second set. She continued to attack but became more selective about when to accelerate, and the match gradually shifted away from the patterns that had favored Gauff early.
The 6-4 second set forced a decider, and Rybakina’s power became increasingly difficult to neutralize. She earned a break to move ahead late in the third set. Gauff immediately fought back and broke when Rybakina first tried to close the match, but the reprieve was brief. Rybakina broke again to finish the 6-4 deciding set.
The semifinal showed why Rybakina is becoming No. 1
Rybakina’s rise to the top ranking had already been secured before the semifinal. Her quarterfinal victory over Zheng Qinwen guaranteed that she will debut at world No. 1 when the new rankings are released.
What the Gauff match added was a different kind of evidence. Rankings reward consistency across a season; Grand Slam semifinals test whether that consistency survives elite pressure. Rybakina lost the first set, played in front of a crowd heavily supporting the American, and still found a way to change the match without abandoning the aggressive style that brought her to this stage.
That is significant because the US Open had previously been the major where Rybakina had done the least damage. Reaching her first final in New York expands a résumé that already includes Wimbledon and Australian Open titles.
Gauff’s run ends one match short of the final
For Gauff, the loss ends a strong tournament that included a dramatic quarterfinal comeback against Mirra Andreeva, when she saved two match points before advancing in three sets. Against Rybakina, however, the margin for error narrowed as the match progressed.
Gauff’s defense remained a weapon, but Rybakina was able to keep enough pressure on the American’s service games and groundstrokes to create repeated opportunities. The third set illustrated the difference between surviving pressure and reversing it: Gauff recovered one late break, but Rybakina immediately created another chance and converted it.
Sabalenka vs. Rybakina gives the final a clear No. 1 vs. No. 2 storyline
Sabalenka reached the final by beating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the other semifinal. She enters Saturday as the defending champion, while Rybakina arrives knowing the No. 1 ranking is already hers regardless of the final result.
That creates a compelling contrast. Sabalenka is defending the US Open crown and trying to extend her dominance in New York. Rybakina is attempting to pair the top ranking with a third major title and her first championship at Flushing Meadows.
The ranking change is already decided; the trophy is not. That separation makes Saturday’s final especially interesting because both players have something substantial to prove that the computer rankings cannot settle.
SportsyVibe will continue following the tournament through our Tennis coverage, with scores and current tournament facts reverified close to publication.
Source verification: The semifinal score and final matchup were checked against Reuters and Associated Press/NBC Sports reporting on September 11, 2026. Rybakina’s incoming No. 1 ranking was separately confirmed by the official US Open site. Featured image is a licensed generic women’s tennis image and is not presented as a photograph of the semifinal.