Rybakina's dominant win over Osaka
World number two Elena Rybakina swept past four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-4 on Monday to line up a US Open quarter-final against China's Zheng Qinwen. The Kazakh player needed just 66 minutes to get past Osaka, firing 29 winners and saving the only break point she faced. Osaka, struggling with a left Achilles tendon injury that hindered her serve and contributed to a welter of unforced errors, saved a pair of match points in the penultimate game before Rybakina closed it out with a love service game.[S1]
Rybakina seemed untroubled by the heel injury that forced her to retire from her Cincinnati WTA quarter-final and clouded her preparation for the Open. She said it was amazing progress and that she was really glad how everything worked out, noting they didn't even know if she would be able to play. She credited her great team and a good doctor on the phone all the time, adding that today was one of the best matches she played.[S1]
Zheng's remarkable comeback against Swiatek
Chinese qualifier Zheng Qinwen produced another spectacular fight back to upset six-time Major winner Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-3 earlier in the day, recovering from 0-5 down in the opening set to reach the quarter-finals. The Olympic champion battled her way through qualifiers amid a career slump and has recaptured her top form in New York, getting the best of an opponent who had led 7-to-1 in their head-to-head before Sept 7.[S2]
Zheng said she started the match not so well and little by little found her rhythm, focusing point by point and starting to play better tennis. She appears to do her best work with her back against the wall, recovering from five games to love in the deciding set of her third round match this week, and she found the magic again at Arthur Ashe Stadium, saving three set points to the increasing frustration of the 2022 champion Swiatek.[S2]
Path to world No. 1
Rybakina is guaranteed to replace Aryna Sabalenka atop the WTA rankings if she reaches the semifinals in Flushing Meadows. Even if she loses Wednesday, she can still get to No. 1 if neither Sabalenka, Coco Gauff or Jessica Pegula wins the title. Rybakina won the Australian Open this year for her second major title and her No. 2 ranking is her career best.[S3]
Zheng was a U.S. Open quarterfinalist in 2023 and 2024 — the year she reached the Australian Open final — but after her ranking dropped following elbow surgery she had to go through qualifying this year to reach the main draw. Raducanu's title five years ago made her the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title in the Open era, which dates to 1968.[S3]
