Sabalenka, Pegula, Rybakina and Gauff Set for US Open Semifinals

New York has produced a rare all-seeds semifinal lineup: Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff, the tournament’s top four women, will take the court on Thursday night with places in the 2026 US Open final at stake.

2026 US Open women’s semifinals: top four seeds set for Thursday night

The hard-court major has reached an unusually orderly final four. It is only the second time in the Open Era that the first four seeds have all reached the US Open semifinals, matching the 1975 field of Chris Evert, Virginia Wade, Martina Navratilova and Evonne Goolagong Cawley.

It is also the first occurrence at any Grand Slam since Wimbledon 2009, when Dinara Safina, Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Elena Dementieva made the last four as the leading seeds.

Sabalenka and Pegula renew a tight recent rivalry

Sabalenka has put herself within two wins of a Flushing Meadows hat-trick after rediscovering consistency in New York. Her run represents her strongest result since reaching the Berlin semifinals, following a stretch of results below her usual level.

1. The top seed opened her campaign with four straight-sets victories.
2. Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova then pushed Sabalenka into a deciding set, where Sabalenka recovered from a break down before taking the super tiebreak.
3. Sabalenka now meets Pegula in their 14th career meeting, aiming to continue her title defence.

Sabalenka said her previous attempt to win three straight Australian Open titles had taught her not to become consumed by the prospect of the achievement.

“I’m very happy to be in a position where I can try for a third title, although there is still a long way to go,” Sabalenka said. “What Australia taught me is that you have to block out the noise and avoid carrying that thought around too much. It is fine to have that goal, provided you stay focused on yourself and are prepared to fight.”

Pegula arrives with one of the strongest summer records on tour. After reaching the finals in Washington and Cincinnati, she has made a third successive US Open semifinal and remains in pursuit of her first Grand Slam crown.

1. Pegula was tested by 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez in the third round, needing three sets.
2. She then came through another three-set contest against fellow American Emma Navarro in the quarterfinals.
3. The Navarro victory was Pegula’s 50th WTA Tour win of the 2026 season.

The American has split the last four matches of the rivalry with Sabalenka, with every one of those contests going the distance. Sabalenka won their most recent hard-court meeting, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 at the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh, while Pegula won their latest overall clash in the 2026 Berlin semifinals, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-0.

“I’ll try to take what worked for me in those matches, while recognising that she is an elite player,” Pegula said. “She and her team are very good at studying what needs to improve and what opponents have been doing against her.”

“It has been enjoyable to look back at our rivalry. She has beaten me here in recent years. I have beaten her a few times, perhaps on smaller stages, and getting over that hurdle will be important.”

Rybakina takes the No. 1 ranking into Gauff test

Rybakina’s quarterfinal victory over Zheng Qinwen delivered a landmark before the semifinal draw was complete: the Kazakh became the 30th woman to hold the World No. 1 ranking since the system began in 1975.

Her next objective is clear. A US Open title would give Rybakina a third Grand Slam singles trophy, and she has carried imposing form through the tournament despite arriving after an injury concern in Cincinnati.

1. Rybakina entered New York uncertain whether she would be fit to compete after the Cincinnati problem limited her preparation.
2. She has won every match except her quarterfinal in straight sets.
3. Her fourth-round win over two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka was among the most commanding performances of her run.
4. She overcame Zheng in three sets to ensure her rise to the top ranking and set a semifinal against Gauff.

“Considering where I was before this tournament, injured and unable to practise, we have come a long way,” Rybakina said. “There are still the final pushes to make, and it is important to enjoy it. Hopefully it goes my way.”

Rybakina said titles, rather than the ranking calculation, remain her primary focus.

“It is a different kind of achievement,” she said. “You are usually chasing titles, and the ranking can follow, or it may not, depending on what the other players do. At the end of the day, you think mostly about titles. I have two already, and I will do my best to win here. If not, there will be other opportunities.”

Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion, has again shown her ability to turn a match from danger. She saved two match points in the second-set tiebreak against Roland Garros champion Mirra Andreeva, then took control to preserve a 6-0 record against the Russian.

1. Gauff had won 20 consecutive sets before Andreeva took a set from her.
2. She saved two match points in the second-set tiebreak and forced the contest into a deciding set.
3. Gauff completed the comeback, drawing level with Pegula on 12 comeback victories this season.
4. After winning Cincinnati, she has reached her seventh Grand Slam semifinal with the home crowd behind her.

“Sometimes all you need is an opportunity, and I think I got mine today,” Gauff said. “I was determined not to lose the second set because I felt I had worked too hard to create chances and then let them go. When the third set began, I felt confident that I would come through it.”

Rybakina and Gauff have met twice, splitting those matches. Their latest contest came in the Toronto semifinals this season, where Rybakina recovered for a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 victory. Thursday’s meeting will be their second showdown in three tournaments, with a place in the US Open final on the line.