A dominant Rybakina reaches the US Open quarterfinals for the first time

Elena Rybakina continues her impressive run at the US Open 2026. The Kazakh player decisively defeated Naomi Osaka (6-1, 6-4) and qualified for the quarterfinals of the New York Grand Slam for the first time. This victory also leaves her just one win away from reaching the world number 1 ranking, a goal that could make her week in New York one of the most significant of her career.

Rybakina needed little more than an hour to overcome an Osaka who found no answers to her opponent's level. The Kazakh showcased her power and precision, especially from the baseline, where her ball striking has become one of the tournament's great assets.

Unmatched ball striking

Her performance is particularly striking due to the sense of dominance she conveys each time she hits the ball. Rybakina is generating tremendous speed and maintaining a precision that forces her opponents to play at the limit. The most remarkable aspect is that she doesn't even seem to need to be at a hundred percent physically to make a difference. I have not felt that she has moved at 100% this week, and given how well she is hitting the ball, she hasn't had to. Her ability to resolve points quickly is allowing her to manage her efforts and control matches from the very first ball.

The win against Osaka places Rybakina in her first quarterfinals at the US Open and simultaneously puts her just one win away from becoming the world number 1. The opportunity is immense: if she wins her next match, she could become the new leader of the WTA ranking.

After years among the best on the circuit, Rybakina now has the chance to reach the top for the first time. And she is doing it with a tennis style that, at least in New York, seems built around a very simple idea: hit the ball so well that running becomes less and less necessary.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Una Rybakina demoledora pisa por primera vez los cuartos del US Open