Elena Rybakina defeats Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in the U.S. Open quarterfinal, winning 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. The win sends Rybakina into the semifinals and ends Zheng’s run at the tournament. Multiple outlets report that the result also lifts Rybakina to the top of the WTA rankings.

Several sources note that her ascent to world No. 1 comes after she dethrones Aryna Sabalenka, whose 99-week reign at No. 1 is set to end. BBC Sport and others frame the ranking shift as the outcome of Rybakina’s consistent rise, including her strong season and her Australian Open title earlier this year. Coverage also aligns on key biographical details: Rybakina is 27, born in Moscow but representing Kazakhstan. While one outlet emphasizes her U.S. Open quarterfinal as a step toward the quarterfinals/semis depending on framing, the common thread is that the Zheng match is the decisive result for both her tournament progress and the No. 1 ranking change.