All Four Top Seeds Reach Women’s Singles US Open Semifinals for First Time Since 1975

No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 2 Elena Rybakina, No. 3 Jessica Pegula, and No. 4 Coco Gauff have all reached Thursday’s semifinals, marking just the second time in the Open Era that the top four seeds have all advanced this far at the US Open. The only previous instance came in 1975, when Chris Evert, Virginia Wade, Martina Navratilova, and Evonne Goolagong Cawley accomplished the same feat, with Evert going on to win the title. It’s also the first time all four top seeds at any Grand Slam have reached the semifinals since Wimbledon in 2009.

The Road to the Semifinals

The road to the semifinals has looked a bit different for each top-seeded player, but all four prevailed nonetheless.

Aryna Sabalenka

Sabalenka survived her toughest test of the tournament versus Linda Noskova in the quarterfinal, trailing 4-2 in the third set before rallying to beat the Wimbledon champion 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(7). In the match, she hit 42 winners but converted just two of nine break-point chances, later admitting the match’s turning point came from an unlikely source, “I honestly thought the match was over, and that’s what helped me to feel loose and go for my shots.”

Elena Rybakina

Rybakina was the most dominant of the four all tournament, dropping just a single set on her way to the final four against Zheng Qinwen in the quarterfinals. She’ll enter Thursday’s match having already locked down the new WTA No. 1 ranking, regardless of how the rest of the tournament plays out. Despite its significance, she was unbothered by the milestone, saying, “It’s just a number right now… Of course I’m in the semis, so my goal is to win the tournaments I play."

Jessica Pegula

Pegula shook off a slow start against fellow American Emma Navarro, dropping the first set before winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 to reach a third straight US Open semifinal. This continued a pattern of Americans taking out Americans deep into this year’s tournament, with Pegula needing three sets to get past Navarro.

Coco Gauff

Gauff needed all three sets to get past No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinal, and even had to erase two match points. She lost the first set 2-6 before winning a tense second-set tiebreak 7-6(7) and cleaning up her game dramatically in the decider, eventually closing out a 6-2 third set after committing 40 unforced errors across the first two sets. This marks Gauff’s first US Open semifinal since she won the whole tournament back in 2023.

Thursday's Matchups

The semifinal pits two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka against Jessica Pegula in a rematch of the 2024 US Open final, which Sabalenka won 7-5, 7-5. This will be the 14th career meeting between the two players, with Sabalenka leading the head-to-head 9-4, though Pegula beat her the last time they played in this year’s Berlin semifinal. Looking forward to the matchup, Pegula said, “I think it’s fun to look at the rivalry we’ve had… She’s gotten me here the last couple of years.”

In the other semifinal, Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff will meet for just the second time in their careers, splitting their previous matchups 1-1. Rybakina beat Gauff in Toronto last month, avenging Gauff’s win over her at the 2022 Canadian Open. Gauff arrives having won 11 straight matches since her Cincinnati Open title, reminiscent of her 2023 run. Meanwhile, Rybakina has showcased her power and ball-striking ability in a smooth ride to the semis, and is fresh off claiming the World No. 1 spot.

The Stakes for Each Player

The stakes for each semifinalist go well beyond just this year’s tournament. For Sabalenka, she’s chasing a third consecutive US Open title, a feat only two women have accomplished in the Open Era (Chris Evert and Serena Williams). A win over Pegula would extend her hard-court Grand Slam final streak to eight in a row, tying Monica Seles for the longest such run by a woman in history.

Rybakina, meanwhile, is aiming to become just the sixth woman since 1988 to win both hard-court majors in the same season, on top of her ascension to world No. 1. Gauff is looking for her third Grand Slam victory and her second US Open title.

Sabalenka, Rybakina, and Gauff have all previously won majors, while Pegula remains the lone member of the group still chasing her first Grand Slam title. With Pegula and Gauff both alive in separate semifinals against non-American opponents, there’s even a chance for an all-American final, though nothing is guaranteed.

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