The US Open women’s semi-finals will feature the world’s top four seeds for the first time at a Grand Slam event since Wimbledon in 2009, according to Sky Sports. Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka faces Jessica Pegula, while newly crowned world number one Elena Rybakina takes on home favorite Coco Gauff on Thursday.
This historic bracket means Sabalenka, Rybakina, and Gauff—all former major champions—advance alongside third seed Pegula, who is chasing her first Grand Slam title. For the United States Open, this marks only the second occurrence in the Open Era where the top four seeds reached the final four, following the 1975 tournament.
Sabalenka, who has reached the semi-finals in six consecutive years, is two victories away from becoming the first woman to win three straight US Open titles since Serena Williams achieved the feat between 2012 and 2014. She recently overcame a stern challenge from Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova to reach this stage.
Her opponent, Pegula, presents a familiar hurdle. The rivalry resumes in Flushing Meadows for the third year running, having met in the 2024 final and last year’s semi-finals. Although Sabalenka leads the head-to-head 9-4, Pegula has won two of their last three meetings, including a dominant 6-0 deciding set in the Berlin Open semi-finals earlier this year.
In the other semi-final, Rybakina will face Gauff after securing the world number one ranking with her quarter-final win over Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng. Rybakina becomes the 30th woman and the first from Kazakhstan to reach the top of the WTA rankings.
Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion, produced a remarkable comeback against fifth seed Mirra Andreeva, saving two match points to advance. She expressed respect for Rybakina’s game, noting the Kazakh player’s strong form and her own need to improve upon their previous encounter in Toronto.
Rybakina, bidding for her third Grand Slam title, acknowledged the support Gauff will receive from the home crowd but emphasized her intent to stay aggressive. The pair are tied 1-1 in previous meetings and will clash for a spot in Saturday’s final.
The US Open remains live on Sky Sports throughout the tournament.
Go Coco! The home crowd energy at Flushing Meadows is going to be absolutely electric.
Pegula needs a miracle to beat Sabalenka again. That head-to-head record doesn’t lie, does it?
Rybakina reaching world number one is huge for Kazakhstan. Can Gauff really stop her serve tonight?
Incredible to see the top four seeds all advancing. This lineup is pure fireworks waiting to happen!