Down to four at the U.S. Open

ELENA ANDREYEVNA RYBAKINA IS OUR NEW WORLD NO. 1. 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

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— The Tennis Letter (@thetennisletter.bsky.social) September 9, 2026 at 1:03 PM

In Tuesday's first quarterfinal match, two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka had to go against another big hitter--Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova. The three-set match lived up to expectations: Noskova hit 46 winners, including 18 aces, while Sabalenka hit 42 winners, including 12 aces. The world number 1 emerged the victor 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-6 (7), and she described the match as "a really tough, tight battle. Of her opponent, Sabalenka said, "What an incredible player she is...."

The defending champion won the match with a second serve ace on her first match point, which was quite a statement in itself.  

In Tuesday's evening quarterfinal, countrywomen Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro met for the fourth time in their careers. Pegula had won all four of those matches, including one played just recently in Cincinnati. Navarro, for her part, took a couple of months off this spring after dealing with health issues for a long time. 

It was exhausting, just watching this match. Both players are known for their "strictly business" approach to playing matches, and it was indeed strictly business. Pegula's serve was inconsistent and not up to her usual standard, and her opponent took advantage of that fact. Navarro took the first set 6-3, and--not surprisingly--Pegula brought her level up and won the second set. The 3rd seed became a bit wobbly again in the final set, but once again raised her level, and emerged with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory. 

In today's first quarterfinal, qualifier (a strange description for someone who was an Australian Open runner-up and who is the holder of an Olympic gold medal)  Zheng Qinwen took advantage of a not quite in-form Elena Rybakina and took the first set. But--just like in the Pegula match--Rybakina elevated her game in the second set and won it 6-1. She would go on to win the third set, and--in doing so--she not became a U.S. Open semifinalist, she also became the world number 1. Before this year, Rybakina had never advanced past the round of 16 in Flushing Meadows.

In the final quarterfinal match, 2026 Roland-Garros champion Mirra Andreeva faced off against two-time major champion (one of those titles was earned at the 2023 U.S. Open) Coco Gauff.  Andreeva began the match by breaking Gauff, then rather quickly went up 4-0. She won that set 6-2, making it the first set that Gauff had lost in the tournament. 

The second set was thrilling by any standard, and included some really long rallies. It went to a tiebreak, in which Gauff led, but then Andreeva brought it to 5-all, then failed to convert a match point. She then failed to convert her second match point, and Gauff won the set on her set point. Gauff then dominated the third set, and--at 2-5 in the third--it was Andreeva who saved a match point, but Gauff won on her second attempt.

It was a stunning victory against a very difficult opponent. Both players made 42 unforced errors; Gauff hit 22 winners, Andreeva hit 25. Gauff also double-faulted twelve times, yet she was able to overcome every deficit in her game.

Here is the semifinal draw, which features the tournament's top four seeds:

Aryna Sabalenka (1) v. Jessica Pegula (3)
Coco Gauff (4) v. Elena Rybakina (2) 

In doubles, top seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend advanced to the final by defeating 8th seeds Elise Mertens and Diana Shnaider 6-0, 7-6 (8). (Shnaider's usual partner, Mirra Andreeva, is stepping back a bit from doubles, so they aren't playing together on a regular basis.) Also advancing to the final were the unseeded team of Ashlyn Krueger and Robin Montgomery, who defeated 2nd seeds Gaby Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8).

In wheelchair competition, the two top seeds, Defending champion Yui Kamiji and Diede de Groot, both advanced to the second round; De Groot had to go three sets against countrywoman Lizzy De Greef.