Key events
Here’s Bryan Armen Graham’s match report from tonight’s first semi-final, where Aryna Sabalenka rolled past Jessica Pegula.
Money quote from Pegula: “I don’t know who pissed [Sabalenka] off today. Hopefully it wasn’t me totally, but might have been. I don’t know. She played insane.”
And now we turn to Saturday’s final: the old (well, until Monday) world No 1 v the new (well, starting Monday) world No 1.
Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina have been the best two players on the women’s tour this season. Even though the ranking won’t be at stake in the US Open final, there’s still so very much to play for. Sabalenka could become just the third women’s player in history to win three consecutive US Open titles. Rybakina could win her first title in New York – a place where, before this year, she’d never advanced past the fourth round.
They have met three times this season: the Australian Open final (Rybakina in three), the Indian Wells final (Sabalenka in a third-set tiebreak) and the Miami Open semi-final (Sabalenka in two).
That was a competitive and entertaining finish to a competitive and entertaining US Open semi-final. Gauff looked dominant and in control after the first set, but Rybakina clawed back into it once her serve settled – and once Gauff’s forehand started to go awry. “I feel like the first set, it was still a good start, it was just one break,” Rybakina says in her postmatch interview. “Coco is a great player. I took a deep breath, [was] trying to talk positive with myself.”
“It was such a close third set,” she says, “and I felt like Iwas a little bit lucky on her serve.” Gauff’s trademark fight was on display with her break in the penultimate game – a day after she saved two match points in the quarter-finals – but this time came just a bit too late. Gauff hung with Rybakina for one last rally in the deciding game, but she sent her final overhead long.
Gauff will rue the 34 forehand errors and the finish, but there’s still a lot about this US Open run that the 22-year-old American can look back on with pride. This was her first New York semi-final since her 2023 triumph, and her serve – the topic of conversation at the 2025 tournament – certainly looked better this year, at times not just keeping her alive but winning her points and games.
Elena Rybakina advances to the US Open final
Gauff 6-3, 4-6, 4-6 Rybakina
For the first time, Elena Rybakina is headed to the US Open final. The new world No 1 came down from one set down and held off Coco Gauff’s comeback attempt to set up a Saturday final against Aryna Sabalenka.
Third set: *Gauff 6-3, 4-6, 4-5 Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Gauff is very much still alive. The American gets her first break of the third set with some of her trademark shot-saving at the baseline at 30-30. She handles Rybakina’s big serve with a stellar crosscourt backhand that Rybakina hits into the net.
Third set: Gauff 6-3, 4-6, 3-5 *Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Rybakina gets a major break. A frustrating game for Gauff, who nets two important points and is caught making unsuccessful shots when trying to avoid the forehand that’s been giving her trouble since the second set. Rybakina will serve for the match.
Third set: *Gauff 6-3, 4-6, 3-4 Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Rybakina holds, having won 12 of her last 13 service points. It is the third time this match she has held at love. She has come very close to getting the break in two of Gauff’s three service games this set. Can she pull through in this next game?
Third set: Gauff 6-3, 4-6, 3-3 *Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Gauff responds to going down 0-30 with another net approach and an overhead smash. Even through the shakiness of the second set, her second serve has held strong. She delivered one at 96mph in this game. This game gets to deuce three times, with Rybakina missing break point twice on backhand errors. Gauff comes through with the clutch hold, with a much better forehand than we’ve seen earlier in the set.
Third set: *Gauff 6-3, 4-6, 2-3 Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Despite the tension, Rybakina is still holding pretty comfortably. Of the service games she has won, just one has gone to deuce, and that was the second game of the entire match back in the first set. She has sent 52% of her shots to Gauff’s forehand – we may expect to see that percentage go up in the rest of this third set.
Third set: Gauff 6-3, 4-6, 2-2 *Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Gauff works the baseline on the opening point of this fourth game. She has a chance to hold at love, but her forehand is just a bit overlong. She makes up for it with a backhand winner.
Third set: *Gauff 6-3, 4-6, 1-2 Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Rybakina gets the hold with the help of her fourth and fifth aces of the match.
Third set: Gauff 6-3, 4-6, 1-1 *Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Gauff nets a volley up 30-0 – the first net point she hasn’t won tonight – but follows with another midcourt overhead. She lets Rybakina climb back to the game and get to deuce twice, but delivers one of her fastest serves of the night at 121mph and then wins the ad-point to get to 1-1.
Third set: *Gauff 6-3, 4-6, 0-1 Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Rybakina is going after Gauff’s forehand following a second set in which eight of Gauff’s 13 forehand errors came. She holds in her first service game.
Rybakina takes the second set 6-4
Second set: Gauff 6-3, 4-6 *Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Gauff’s forehand has gone a bit awry in the past two games (she has 12 forehand errors on the night), but she’s looking more comfortable at the net, where she gets another nice overhead winner at 15-0. But she double-faults to create a break point for Rybakina and then nets another high-speed forehand for Rybakina to take the set.
After falling down 1-4, Gauff rebounded and looked strong to win three games in a row. But the forehand shakiness that has given her trouble over the course of her career returned at the end of the set.
These two have played two three-setters before: Rybakina won in Toronto earlier this year, and Gauff won in Toronto in 2022.
Second set: *Gauff 6-3, 4-5 Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Rybakina holds at love in a very quick ninth game after a few haywire Gauff forehands.
Second set: Gauff 6-3, 4-4 *Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Gauff carries the momentum from the break into her next service game, winning the first point with a backhand volley. She holds with another impressive serve and has climbed back from 1-4 down to even up this second set.
Second set: *Gauff 6-3, 3-4 Rybakina (*denotes next server)
After Rybakina some success earlier in the match with shots at the net, Gauff has found a few winners down the line while catching her opponent on the approach. Gauff finds an opening at 15-30 on Rybakina’s second serve with an angled crosscourt backhand return that Rybakina sends into the net. She narrowly misses a drop shot on her first break point chance, but Rybakina nets again to give Gauff her first break of the second set.
Second set: Gauff 6-3, 2-4 *Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Rybakina has picked up the power on her returns, particularly on Gauff’s second serve, but Gauff is fighting them off well. She stops Rybakina’s three-game run and will seek her first break since the first set.
Second set: *Gauff 6-3, 1-4 Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Rybakina opens this game with the kind of serving we’re used to seeing from her – 118mph to start, then 114mph, both on the first serve. She holds at love as the match hits the hour mark. Rybakina has won seven of the past eight points and is easing into this match in the way she did the last time she and Gauff met in Toronto.
Second set: Gauff 6-3, 1-3 *Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Rybakina has her first break. Gauff starts this service game under pressure with her second double-fault of the night. It’s still better than her average for the tournament at 5.6 and the 12 she had in the quarter-final, but her first-serve-in percentage has not improved since we entered the second set. Gauff overshoots her forehand during an eight-shot rally and loses break point.
Second set: *Gauff 6-3, 1-2 Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Rybakina answers a pair of strong returns by Gauff with a 118mph ace before double-faulting on the next point. Gauff has been adjusting her return position on first and second serve, and it seems that has thrown Rybakina off on several occasions. Rybakina holds after Gauff’s weak forehand goes into the net, but it wasn’t a very comfortable hold.
Fan watch: New York Knicks star OG Anunoby is in the crowd. (Did he get the $100 chicken nuggets?) Have also spotted Rami Malek, Common, Ciara, Robin Roberts and Michelle Obama, among others.
Second set: Gauff 6-3, 1-1 *Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Rybakina is looking much better in the second set. She goes up 0-30 with two backhanded winners before netting a slice while caught in no man’s land between the baseline and the net. Gauff claws back, getting a nice overhead smash to go up 40-30 before taking the game.
Second set: *Gauff 6-3, 0-1 Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Rybakina holds to start the second set. If the new world No 1 is to climb back into this match, she’ll want to clean up the unforced errors (she had 18 in the first set) and keep points shorter.
The last time these players met, in Toronto earlier this summer, Coco Gauff also won the first set (albeit it in tighter fashion at 7-6) before Elena Rybakina climbed back into the match and took it in three.
Gauff wins the first set 6-3
Gauff delivers some beautiful shot-making along the baseline to create set point, and lobs a slower 85mph serve that Rybakina struggles to hand and hits out to go up one set to love.
This is a very promising start for the American, who threatened Rybakina from the opening return game and broke her twice. She looks a completely different player from the one whose serve and forehand crumbled in the first set of the quarter-final against Mirra Andreeva.
While both players are even at 52% of their first serves in, Rybakina has struggled on her own second serve (6 of 12 points won) and hasn’t made the adjustments to answer that of Gauff, who is 11 for 14 on her follow-up attempt points. The Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd roars in enthusiasm.
First set: *Gauff 5-3 Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Rybakina holds under pressure, but Gauff doesn’t make it easy. Aside from the faults on the first serve, the American is playing a very clean match thus far, with only four unforced errors.
First set: Gauff 5-2 *Rybakina (*denotes next server)
A commanding hold for Gauff in the seventh game. While Gauff has handled Rybakina’s strong serve by moving deeper to handle the return, Rybakina has had few answers for Gauff’s. The American is up to four aces – out-aceing (is that a phrase?) the tour’s aces leader through the start of this match. Rybakina wanted to catch Gauff, up at the net, with a deep lob at 40-0, but another impressive save at the baseline keeps Gauff in control.
First set: *Gauff 4-2 Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Gauff gets the first break of the night at 4-2. She wins the first point of the sixth game with a nice backhand volley winner on the run up to the net and gets an excellent chance for the first break of the night after a 16-shot rally that features some excellent defensive work. Rybakina, on her second serve, hits a shot wide into the doubles alley at 30-40.
First set: Gauff 3-2 *Rybakina (*denotes next server)
A strong hold for Gauff. Both players have kept these rallies very much at the baseline through the first five games, with Rybakina making the lone two trips to the net so far. Rybakina wins a net point at 15-30 to climb back into the game, and Gauff’s serve see-saws with two second serves followed by a double-fault. (This will be an area to watch: Gauff is 9 for 21 on first serves in.) A 122mph ace turns it around, and she wins the game with an emphatic forehand winner.
First set: *Gauff 2-2 Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Rybakina lands her first ace of the night and has a comfortable hold. Gauff has been going hard at the second serve – seven of Rybakina’s 13 serves have needed second attempts – and that’s where she’ll have to push for the break opportunities.
First set: Gauff 2-1 *Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Gauff holds, and through the first three games she already looks significantly better than she did in the beginning of her quarter-final against Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday.
First set: *Gauff 1-1 Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Gauff is off to a strong start in Rybakina’s first service game, stepping up for strong returns and getting the night’s first break point chance at 30-40. She hits a forehand miss into the net and Rybakina manages to hold, but it’s an encouraging beginning for Gauff, who will need to face Rybakina’s serves with that kind of aggressive approach. Rybakina has been broken just four times this tournament.
First set: Gauff 1-0 *Rybakina (*denotes next server)
Gauff holds serve to open this semi-final. She needed a second serve on three of her five service points, but she won the game with a 118mph ace.
The second semi-final is under way. Coco Gauff will serve first.
The roads to the semi-final for Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff:
Gauff:
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6-3, 6-4 v Zeynep Sonmez
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6-4, 7-6 (5) v Paula Badosa
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6-3, 6-4 v Cristina Bucsa
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6-1, 6-4 v Iva Jovic (14)
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2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2 v Mirra Andreeva (5)
Rybakina:
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6-3, 6-2 v Thea Frodin
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6-2, 6-4 v Jessica Bouzas Maneiro
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7-6 (6), 6-3 v Yuliia Starodubtseva
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6-1, 6-4 v Naomi Osaka (13)
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3-6, 6-1, 6-4 v Zheng Qinwen
