Coco Gauff Saves Two Match Points To Reach U.S. Open Semifinals

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, September 10, 2026

Coco Gauff reached the semifinals of the 2026 U.S. Open by defeating Mirra Andreeva after saving two match points in a three-set battle. She will face new WTA No. 1 Elena Rybakina, who secured the top ranking with her quarterfinal win, in a match that highlights a major change in women's tennis leadership.

Fourth-seeded Coco Gauff advanced to the semifinals of the 2026 U.S. Open on Wednesday after a hard-fought victory over Mirra Andreeva. Gauff overcame two match points in a tense second-set tiebreaker before ultimately winning 2-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2. The win sets up a semifinal matchup against new WTA No. 1 Elena Rybakina.

Gauff, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, faced a challenging start as Andreeva, the reigning French Open champion, dominated the opening set. Andreeva won the first seven points and closed the set in just 26 minutes. However, Gauff regrouped during the break, inspired in part by American counterpart Frances Tiafoe’s comeback from two sets down in his own quarterfinal the day before. Gauff emphasized resilience after the match, describing her approach as simply to “fight” and leave the court with no regrets.

Rybakina secured her spot in the semifinals earlier Wednesday by defeating Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. The victory guarantees that the 27-year-old from Kazakhstan will claim the WTA No. 1 ranking when the new standings are released on Monday, ending Aryna Sabalenka’s 99-week reign at the top. Sabalenka, currently the top seed, faces No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the other semifinal on Thursday.

Rybakina acknowledged the significance of becoming world No. 1 but stressed that her focus remains on winning the U.S. Open title. She noted the rapidly changing nature of tennis rankings and the need to concentrate on her own game.

Zheng, the 2024 Olympic gold medalist, entered the main draw through qualifying after recovering from elbow surgery that caused her ranking to fall to No. 121. This run to the quarterfinals marks a notable comeback, including erasing a 5-0 deficit in the third set against Madison Keys in the third round.

On the men’s side, top seed Alexander Zverev advanced to the semifinals by defeating Botic van de Zandschulp 6-2, 7-5, 6-1. Zverev became the first men’s No. 1 seed in the Open era to play five-set matches in each of the first two rounds at a major this season but has since won his last three matches in straight sets. He will face No. 28 seed Karen Khachanov, who reached his third Grand Slam semifinal after Alexander Blockx retired during their match due to injury.

Gauff and Rybakina are slated to face off Thursday in a semifinal that carries high stakes beyond just a spot in the final, as Rybakina’s rise to the No. 1 ranking marks a significant shift atop women’s tennis this season.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.