Elena Rybakina vs Coco Gauff - Preview & Prediction - 2026 US Open Semi Final

<p>Coco Gauff vs Elena Rybakina — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for the SEMIFINAL of the 2026 US Open. The new World No. 1 against the 2023 champion, in a final four that hasn&#39;t happened at this tournament in 51 YEARS.</p><p><br></p><p>Elena Rybakina arrives with the biggest news of the fortnight already secured: she WILL BECOME WORLD NO. 1 after this tournament, replacing Aryna Sabalenka, after edging Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the quarterfinals. The reigning Australian Open champion had to come from a set down to end the qualifier&#39;s extraordinary run, and it caps a stretch in which she has beaten Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-4 and won 42 of her last 50 hard-court matches. She is the form player on this surface, full stop.</p><p><br></p><p>Coco Gauff is one match from a second US Open final, and she just survived the scare of her tournament. Having not dropped a set through four rounds, the fourth seed found herself a set and two MATCH POINTS down against 2026 Roland-Garros champion Mirra Andreeva before rallying to win 2-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 — extending her perfect head-to-head over Andreeva to 6-0. She came into New York as the Cincinnati Open champion, exactly as she did in 2023 before winning her maiden Grand Slam in this building.</p><p><br></p><p>The head-to-head is dead level at 1-1 — and the last meeting was recent. In the Toronto semifinals on August 13, Rybakina lost the opening set and then took control, winning 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.</p><p><br></p><p>For context on how strong this final four is: this is the FIRST TIME SINCE 1975 that all top four seeds have reached the US Open women&#39;s semifinals, with Sabalenka facing Jessica Pegula in the other half.</p><p><br></p><p>🎾 IN THIS VIDEO</p><p>- How Rybakina beat Gauff in Toronto four weeks ago</p><p>- Whether Gauff&#39;s escape was a warning sign or proof of resilience</p><p>- What the No. 1 ranking pressure does to Rybakina</p><p>- Prediction, scoreline, and the final that follows</p><p><br></p><p>📊 MATCH INFO</p><p>Tournament: 2026 US Open (Grand Slam)</p><p>Round: Semifinal — Women&#39;s Singles</p><p>Players: Coco Gauff (USA, No. 4, 4th seed) vs Elena Rybakina (KAZ, No. 2 seed, incoming World No. 1)</p><p>Head-to-head: 1-1 (last: Toronto 2026 SF, Rybakina won 5-7 6-2 6-2)</p><p>Other semifinal: Aryna Sabalenka vs Jessica Pegula</p><p>Surface: Outdoor Hard</p><p>Venue: Arthur Ashe Stadium, Flushing Meadows, New York</p><p><br></p><p>💬 Gauff or Rybakina? Predicted scoreline in the comments.</p><p>👍 Like if you want full US Open final coverage</p><p>🔔 SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications for the rest of the 2026 US Open</p><p><br></p><p>- Mantis 10%: https://mantissport.com/qualityshot10 (At Checkout)</p><p>- IM8 10% OFF: https://im8.go2cloud.org/aff_c?offer_id=26&amp;aff_id=2077 (Code QST10 at Checkout)</p><p>- Acemate: https://www.acematetennis.com?sca_ref=11586466.udoQ3GLV6m55xoG1&amp;utm_source=uppromote&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=standard-affiliate-commission&amp;utm_content=affiliate-QualityShot-Tennis</p><p><br></p><p>---</p><p><br></p><p>Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for &quot;fair use&quot; for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use and no copyright infringement is intended. No match footage is shown in these videos.</p><p><br></p><p>⚠️ Independent tennis analysis and commentary. Predictions are opinion only and not betting advice. Not affiliated with the USTA, the WTA or the US Open.</p><p><br></p><p>#CocoGauff #Rybakina #USOpen</p>