New York, 11 September (H.S.):

Kazakhstan’s star tennis player Elena Rybakina defeated home favourite Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a fiercely contested semifinal on Friday to reach the women’s singles final of the US Open 2026. She will now face defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the title clash.

The second-seeded Rybakina has also secured the world No. 1 ranking following her victory at the US Open. She will overtake Sabalenka to claim the top spot in the rankings. However, to win her third Grand Slam title, Rybakina will have to overcome the formidable challenge posed by Sabalenka in the final.

Speaking after the match, Rybakina said, “I felt after the first set that it was a very good start and that it was just one break that made the difference, but of course there was pressure. Coco is a great player, and it is always difficult to play against her. It is very challenging to control the rallies. I just took a deep breath and spoke positively to myself, trying to play good tennis.”

Gauff made an aggressive start to the match and kept the Kazakh player under pressure. She broke Rybakina’s serve in the sixth game to take the lead and went on to win the opening set 6-3.

Gauff’s level dipped slightly in the second set, allowing Rybakina to capitalise on a series of errors. Rybakina maintained the pressure and claimed the set 6-4 to force a deciding set.

In the deciding set, Rybakina shifted into another gear and secured a service break to take a 5-3 lead. Gauff immediately fought back by breaking Rybakina’s serve, but the Kazakh star responded by breaking again in the following game. She then held her serve to seal the match and book her place in the final.

With Gauff’s defeat, the run of American women’s and men’s players reaching a Grand Slam final this year has also come to an end. It is the first time since 2006 that no American player has reached a final at any of the four Grand Slam tournaments in a calendar year.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar