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Elena Rybakina rallied past Coco Gauff 3 to 6, 6 to 4, 6 to 4 on Thursday night. That win sends her into the US Open final. It also confirms Rybakina as the new world number one, since she replaces Aryna Sabalenka in the rankings next week. As a result, she now faces Sabalenka on Saturday with a chance at her third Grand Slam title.
Gauff started fast in front of a partisan crowd
Gauff came out aggressively in the opening set. In fact, she hit four aces to Rybakina’s one and wrapped up the set in just 38 minutes. Meanwhile, the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd roared behind her the entire way, with former first lady Michelle Obama among those watching. A break in the sixth game then sealed the set for the American in front of a fully engaged home crowd.
Rybakina found her rhythm in the second set
Still, Rybakina settled in as Gauff’s level dipped slightly. Because of that dip, loose errors from the American gave Rybakina the opening she needed to level the match at one set apiece. That swing, in turn, set up a decisive third set between two of the tournament’s top seeds.
A tight third set decided the match
From there, Rybakina used her power to move ahead 5 to 3 in the decider. Gauff answered with a break of her own to briefly pull the match back within reach. However, her comeback bid stalled a game later when she could not hold serve. Rybakina broke straight back and closed out the win from there.
Rybakina credits her mindset for the win
Afterward, Rybakina said nerves were part of the match. Gauff, she added, is simply difficult to play, especially with her heavy second serve. So staying positive with herself became the focus once the match tightened. Along with that, fighting through tough moments and simply playing good tennis carried her the rest of the way. A couple of deep returns and one mistake from Gauff also swung the tight third set her way, she said. Even so, despite knowing the crowd favored her opponent, Rybakina credited her own focus and aggression for getting her over the line.
What comes next
Already, Rybakina has beaten Sabalenka once this year in Australia, where she won her first Grand Slam of the season. Now she gets a chance to do it again on the sport’s biggest stage. A win Saturday would give her a third career Grand Slam title.
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