Sabalenka and Pegula continue to fight for the number 1 spot and put pressure on Rybakina

Swords held high in the battle for the number 1 spot in the WTA rankings taking place at the US Open 2026. The tournament started with four women having a mathematical chance of leaving New York at the top of the rankings, and all of them still have those possibilities intact at this stage of the event.

While it is true that everything is in the hands of Elena Rybakina, the victories of Jessica Pegula and Aryna Sabalenka that put them into the semifinals put considerable pressure on the Kazakh. The calculations are clear; if Rybakina wins against Zheng this Tuesday, she will secure the number 1 spot. However, if she succumbs to the Chinese player, a range of options opens up that would give the final stage of the tournament a special appeal.

Rybakina will be number 1 if she beats Zheng, but what happens if she loses?

Sabalenka would have renewed hopes of remaining at the top of the WTA rankings, but she would be risking everything against Pegula in that semifinal clash next Thursday. The one who comes out victorious will secure the number 1 spot unless Cori Gauff wins the tournament. That is Coco's only hope, but she has reasons to hold on to it.

What is clear is that this final stretch of the tournament can gain special interest if Elena Rybakina does not win her match and invokes her hard-earned right to depend on herself. The possibility of seeing a change at the top of the WTA rankings, after a long reign by Aryna Sabalenka, generates great media attention, but we cannot rule out Jessica Pegula and Cori Gauff from the fight either. A victory for Rybakina would blow up all possible scenarios, but it is worth clarifying what would happen if Zheng pulls off an upset and creates an added incentive at Flushing Meadows.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Sabalenka y Pegula siguen en la lucha por el número 1 y meten presión a Rybakina