Rybakina Advances to US Open Final After Defeating Gauff

Elena Rybakina walked into a hostile Arthur Ashe Stadium, absorbed everything Coco Gauff and nearly 24,000 fans could throw at her, and walked out with a place in the US Open final – and a shot at a third major title.

The scoreline – 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 – only hints at the ferocity of it.

Gauff’s fast start, Rybakina’s cold response

For a set, this was Coco Gauff’s night.

The fourth seed hunted Rybakina’s second serve, dug in on the baseline and used her defence to turn rallies on their head. Rybakina’s groundstrokes, usually so clean, started to leak errors as Gauff drew her into one more ball, one more swing, one more risk.

The American broke in the sixth game, riding a surge of noise that swelled even louder when cameras picked out former first lady Michelle Obama in the stands. Gauff fed off it, tightening her grip on the set and sealing it 6-3, a fist pump punctuating the moment as Ashe roared.

Rybakina barely reacted. She just walked to her chair, head down, towel over her face, and reset.

The shift came in the second set. Gauff’s level dipped a fraction – a loose forehand here, a mistimed backhand there – and that was all the Wimbledon champion needed. Rybakina pounced on the “sloppy play,” as the stats would later call it, stepping inside the baseline and finally imposing her weight of shot.

The American’s errors mounted, the crowd’s certainty wavered, and Rybakina wrestled back control. She broke once, guarded the advantage with icy composure, and dragged the match level at one set all, the stadium momentarily hushed.

Power tilts the decider

By the third set, the rallies had turned brutal.

Rybakina’s serve, which had flickered in and out early, locked in. First-strike tennis took over. She began to dictate, hammering heavy forehands into the corners, forcing Gauff to sprint, slide and stretch just to stay in the point.

The pressure finally told at 3-3. Rybakina broke to move 5-3 ahead, her power now fully in command of the contest. It felt like a knockout blow.

Gauff refused to accept it. She broke straight back, dragging the match into one last pocket of chaos, the crowd back on its feet, daring to believe in another escape act.

But the comeback never fully formed.

Serving to stay in the tournament, Gauff blinked. Rybakina didn’t. The Kazakh broke once more, this time for the match, slamming the door on any late drama and silencing Ashe with a final, clean strike.

No celebration over the top. Just a clenched fist, a glance to her box, and the quiet satisfaction of a job done in the most demanding arena in the sport.

Next up: Aryna Sabalenka, again.

Sunday’s final (AEST) will reprise this year’s Australian Open decider, where Rybakina prevailed in three sets. The stakes are higher now: Sabalenka is the defending US Open champion, chasing a rare New York three‑peat. Rybakina is hunting a third major and the chance to stamp her authority on the hard-court season.

Sabalenka smashes through Pegula

If Rybakina’s win was a grind, Sabalenka’s was a statement.

The top seed beat Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2, powering into another US Open final and moving within one victory of a third consecutive title in New York.

It did not start smoothly. Sabalenka simmered early, missing her spots and letting frustration spill out. Pegula saved an early break point with a crisp forehand winner, and when Sabalenka double-faulted in the ninth game, she smashed her racquet on the court, the sound echoing around Ashe.

Pegula held for 5-4, and Sabalenka hurled her racquet again after the American stood firm in the 10th game. The tension was obvious, the margin for error thin.

Then the switch flipped.

Sabalenka began to hit through the ball with conviction, finding the corners, stepping into returns. On set point, she broke Pegula from the baseline, ripping away the opening set and with it most of the American’s belief.

From there, it turned into a one-way surge.

Sabalenka unloaded 29 winners and seven aces, the numbers telling the story of her transformation from tight and edgy to ruthless and precise. Pegula, the third seed and last year’s runner-up, could not withstand the barrage. Her own game frayed in the second set as errors crept in and the Belarusian’s power bore down.

"I was so desperate for the win, I wanted it badly," Sabalenka admitted afterwards. She described the rare feeling of total clarity on court: "I felt like whatever decision I would make, it is the right decision."

That was a stark contrast to their last meeting, when Pegula beat her in the Berlin semifinals in June. Sabalenka made it clear this was different: "Against Jess probably today, compared to the last matches we played, it was definitely the better level from me."

Pegula could only agree. Her assessment was blunt.

"She played insane. She played a super-high level," she said. "Honestly, I don't really know if there was much I could do today."

A final with real weight

So the stage is set.

Rybakina, the quiet destroyer, who just walked into Coco Gauff’s house and turned down the volume. Sabalenka, the reigning queen of New York, chasing history and hitting the ball as if she wants to leave a mark on every inch of the court.

They have already split one major final this year. Now comes the decider on the biggest hard-court stage of all.

One will leave with a third Grand Slam trophy. The other will walk away knowing this era is no longer shared. It belongs to someone.