Rybakina Reaches US Open Final After Comeback Win Over Gauff, Set for 18th "B-Sisters Battle" with Sabalenka

(Image from the US Open official social media platform)

On the morning of September 11 Beijing time, the lineup for the 2026 US Open women's singles final was confirmed: No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina will face defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.

Rybakina battled through a tough previous round to defeat Chinese player Qinwen Zheng and rise to No. 1 in the women's singles rankings, while Sabalenka was the player who had just lost the world No. 1 ranking.

In the first semifinal on September 11, top seed Aryna Sabalenka defeated No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 to extend her US Open winning streak to 19 matches and reach the US Open final for the fourth consecutive year, moving one victory away from a three-peat at the tournament. She also became the first player in the Open Era, male or female, to reach eight consecutive hard-court Grand Slam finals.

In the second semifinal, Rybakina fought back to defeat No. 4 seed Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 and also advanced to the final. It is the first time in her career that she has reached the US Open final and the fourth time she has reached a Grand Slam final.

The 2026 US Open final will feature another "B-Sisters Battle." The two players have met 17 times previously, with Rybakina holding a 7-10 record against Sabalenka.

It is worth noting that their most recent Grand Slam final meeting came in this year's Australian Open final, where Rybakina defeated Sabalenka to win the Australian Open title. In the US Open showdown, will Rybakina claim another major title, or will Sabalenka deliver a strong response?

(Source: Jimu News, reporter Chen Lingyan)