Top Four Seeds Reach US Open Women's Semi-Finals for First Time Since 1975
Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina became the first quartet of top-seeded players to make the US Open women's semi-finals since 1975, highlighting a shift toward greater predictability in the sport.
For the first time since 1975, the women's singles draw at the US Open featured all four top seeds in the semi-finals. Aryna Sabalenka (seed 1) will meet Jessica Pegula (seed 3) in the first semi-final, while Elena Rybakina (seed 2) faces Coco Gauff (seed 4) in the second.
Sabalenka, a two-time defending champion, is aiming to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014 to win three consecutive US Open titles. Pegula, the only remaining player without a Grand Slam title, said she views the matchup as a rivalry that pushes her to improve. > "It's fun to look at it like a rivalry. I think that's what motivates me," Pegula said.
Rybakina, who will replace Sabalenka as world number one on Monday, described the ranking as "just a number" and emphasized her focus on securing a third major title. Gauff, the 2023 champion, expressed a renewed mindset after early exits in the previous two editions. > "Sometimes you're just so focused on the now, now, now, because you want it now," she said.
The occurrence marks the first instance since Wimbledon 2009 that the top four seeds have all reached a Grand Slam semi-final, suggesting a move away from the previously unpredictable landscape of women's tennis.