The US Open women’s singles draw has delivered a final four worthy of the occasion, with the tournament’s top four seeds still standing for the first time at a Grand Slam since Wimbledon 2009. And on Thursday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium, each semifinal carries a different kind of pressure. Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka is chasing history against familiar rival Jessica Pegula, while newly crowned world No. 1 Elena Rybakina faces home favourite and 2023 champion Coco Gauff. The winners will meet for the US Open title on Saturday.
Sabalenka’s path is perhaps the clearest. The Belarusian is attempting to become the first woman since Serena Williams from 2012 to 2014 to win three consecutive US Open titles. Only Chris Evert and Williams have previously achieved the feat in the Open Era. Standing between Sabalenka and another final is a player she knows extremely well. Third seed Pegula has reached the semifinals after fighting back against fellow American Emma Navarro, winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. The 32-year-old is enjoying one of the strongest seasons of her career, having reached five finals in 2026 and now securing her second Grand Slam semifinal of the year.
The matchup is also a familiar one at Flushing Meadows. Sabalenka defeated Pegula in the 2024 final before beating her again in the 2025 semifinals. Thursday’s contest will therefore be their third consecutive US Open meeting at the business end of the tournament. Sabalenka leads their overall head-to-head 9-4, although Pegula has won two of their last three encounters. That recent success could provide the American with the belief required to finally overcome Sabalenka on the biggest stage. “I think it’s fun to look at the rivalry we’ve had. She’s gotten me here the last couple of years,” Pegula said. “I have been able to beat her a few times, maybe on a smaller stage, so I think that’s going to be kind of a hurdle for me to get over.”
Sabalenka, meanwhile, survived her toughest test of the tournament in the quarterfinals, edging Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(10-7). She has spent seven hours and 27 minutes on court and has dropped only one set. But there is another storyline hanging over the first semifinal. Sabalenka has lost the No. 1 ranking to Rybakina, who secured the top position by reaching the last four.
The second semifinal therefore has the incoming world No. 1 facing one of America’s biggest stars. Rybakina defeated Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to reach her first US Open semifinal, overcoming a slow start to take control with her serve and baseline power. The result also ended Sabalenka’s 99-week reign at the top of the rankings. Rybakina will become the first player from Kazakhstan to hold the No. 1 ranking when the new rankings are released.
Gauff, however, arrives with momentum of her own. The fourth seed produced one of the tournament’s most dramatic comebacks against French Open champion Mirra Andreeva. After losing the opening set 6-2, Gauff saved two match points in the second-set tie-break before completing a 2-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 victory. The American has now reached the semifinals in New York for the first time since winning the title in 2023. She also enters the contest having rediscovered her form on hard courts, winning the Cincinnati title last month.
Gauff leads Rybakina 2-1 in their career meetings, although Rybakina won their most recent encounter in the Canadian Open semifinals last month. The Kazakh is also serving exceptionally well in New York, leading the women’s field with a 92% hold rate and winning 70% of her service points. The physical battle could also be decisive. Rybakina has spent seven hours and 34 minutes on court, compared with Gauff’s eight hours and 40 minutes. Both have dropped only one set during the tournament.
US OPEN DAY 12 SCHEDULE
Arthur Ashe Stadium
7:00 PM local time / 4:30 AM IST, September 11
Women’s Singles Semifinal
[1] Aryna Sabalenka vs [3] Jessica Pegula
Women’s Singles Semifinal
[4] Coco Gauff vs [2] Elena Rybakina
The night will also feature the men’s doubles semifinals at Louis Armstrong Stadium, while India’s Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi and Antonina Sushkova will compete in the junior girls’ doubles quarterfinals at Stadium 17.
This is a semifinal night built around succession and survival. Sabalenka is trying to cement her place in US Open history before surrendering the No. 1 ranking. Rybakina has already taken that ranking and now wants to add a first US Open title to an increasingly impressive season. Pegula is chasing the Grand Slam crown that has repeatedly escaped her, while Gauff is attempting to recreate the magic of her 2023 breakthrough in front of another home crowd.
The remarkable part is that none of the four arrived here by accident. For the first time since 2009, all four top seeds have reached a Grand Slam women’s semifinal. That alone makes Thursday’s schedule a rare occasion. Sabalenka has history within reach. Pegula has unfinished business. Rybakina has a new ranking to justify. Gauff has a home crowd and a championship memory behind her. At the US Open, the noise will be enormous. The tennis promises to be even louder.
