US Open 2026 Semifinal Recap

Finals weekend at Flushing Meadows is taking shape fast. The women's semifinals are done, and they delivered exactly the blockbuster final the draw promised. The men's semifinals are being decided today, Friday, capping a fortnight defined by seed casualties and late-night marathons. This recap covers what actually happened in the women's final four, where things stand as the men's semifinals play out, and what's at stake once both finalists are set. For more on what makes finals weekend so different from the rest of the tournament, see our US Open from a fan's perspective, and for the tournament's backstory, check out 10 facts about the US Open.

Women's semifinal recap: Sabalenka and Rybakina book their spot in Saturday's final

The final everyone wanted is set. Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and new world No. 1 Elena Rybakina will meet Saturday at 4:00 PM ET at Arthur Ashe Stadium, and both players earned it.

Sabalenka needed just 80 minutes to dispatch Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2, hitting 29 winners and 7 aces without ever dropping her own serve. It's the fourth straight year she's reached the title match in New York, and it came after she'd survived a far tighter three-set quarterfinal against Wimbledon champion Linda Nosková, 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(7).

Rybakina's route was tougher. She had to come back from a set down to beat home favorite Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, weathering an early onslaught from Gauff's serve and forehand before wearing her down over the final two sets. The win did double duty: it sent Rybakina to her second Grand Slam final of the season, and it also confirmed she'll be the new WTA No. 1 starting Monday, taking the ranking from Sabalenka regardless of Saturday's result.

This will be the 18th career meeting between the two, with Sabalenka holding a 10-7 edge overall — though Rybakina actually leads finals meetings 4-2, and has won two of the two players' previous Grand Slam final clashes, including this year's Australian Open. One notable trend to watch: Rybakina has never beaten Sabalenka after dropping the first set, while Sabalenka has come back from a set down against her three separate times. If you want a quick refresher on how break points and hold rates shape matches like this, it's worth brushing up on tennis scoring basics before Saturday.

What's at stake: Sabalenka is chasing her fourth major and a shot at becoming the first woman to three-peat at the US Open since Serena Williams from 2012 to 2014. Rybakina is chasing her third major overall and second of 2026, and a win would give her the Grand Slam head-to-head over Sabalenka for the first time in their rivalry.

Men's semifinals: two matches, one guaranteed first-time finalist

Unlike the women's draw, the men's final isn't set yet — both semifinals are being played today, Friday, September 11, with the winners meeting Sunday at 2:00 PM ET. What is already certain: for the first time in years, the US Open will crown a first-time men's champion, and the tournament is guaranteed at least one American finalist.

Zverev vs. Khachanov (ESPN, 3:00 PM ET)

Top seed Alexander Zverev arrives having reached all four Grand Slam semifinals this year and already owning a maiden major from Roland Garros in June. His path to the final four included a straightforward 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 win over Botic van de Zandschulp. Unseeded Karen Khachanov, ranked No. 50, has quietly put together his best form in ages, beating Alexander Blockx in the quarterfinals after Blockx retired trailing 6-2, 7-5, 3-2, and grinding past a five-set battle with Learner Tien in the round before that. Zverev holds a 6-3 career head-to-head edge (4-2 on hard courts), and is the heavy favorite — but this will be his first daytime match of the tournament after five straight night sessions, a wrinkle worth watching.

Shelton vs. Tiafoe (ESPN, 7:00 PM ET)

The all-American semifinal carries stakes well beyond the match itself — it guarantees the US a finalist in men's singles for the first time since Andy Roddick's title run in 2003, and marks the first time two Black American men have met in a Grand Slam semifinal in the Open era. Eighth-seeded Ben Shelton reaches this stage off the biggest win of his career, outlasting defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 6-7, 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 in a match that didn't finish until 3:33 AM — the latest conclusion in tournament history, and Shelton's first win over Alcaraz in four meetings. Eleventh-seeded Frances Tiafoe fought back from two sets down to beat Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6. Neither man has reached a major final before, though both have been here at the semifinal stage: Shelton at the 2023 US Open and 2025 Australian Open, Tiafoe at the US Open in 2022 and 2024.

What could decide it: Physical freshness may matter as much as form after two marathon quarterfinals put Shelton and Tiafoe through a combined 14-plus hours of court time this tournament. Shelton's game is built around a tournament-leading serve that's touched 146 mph, while Tiafoe's return game has been his sharpest weapon down the stretch — a dynamic that's decided three of their four career meetings. In the other half, watch whether Zverev's daytime adjustment costs him any rhythm against a Khachanov who, by his own recent form, is playing with nothing to lose.

What's at stake heading into Sunday

Whoever wins Sunday's final will be lifting a maiden US Open trophy. If it's an American, it ends more than two decades of waiting for a US men's Grand Slam singles champion — a storyline that's been building since Shelton's stunning upset of Alcaraz reshaped the entire bottom half of the draw. If it's Zverev, he adds a second major of the season to go with his French Open title; if it's Khachanov, it's a breakthrough first Slam at 30 years old, more than a decade into his career.

What to watch this weekend

In Saturday's final, the opening set is historically predictive for this rivalry — 14 of the pair's past 17 meetings have gone to whoever won set one. Watch the first four games of each set closely for who's controlling their service games.

In Sunday's final, keep an eye on legs. Whichever finalist emerges from the Shelton-Tiafoe marathon will have logged significantly more court time than a Zverev-Khachanov winner, and that gap could show up in the closing sets. For gear inspiration if all this hard-court tennis has you wanting to get back on court yourself, check out the Tennis Express accessory guide.

For live coverage, ESPN and Tennis Channel have both semifinals and finals covered, and the US Open's official app delivers real-time scores and shot-by-shot stats that make every momentum shift easier to follow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is in the US Open 2026 women's final?

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka faces new world No. 1 (as of Monday) Elena Rybakina on Saturday at 4:00 PM ET. Sabalenka beat Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the semifinal; Rybakina beat Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Who is playing in the US Open 2026 men's semifinals?

Top seed Alexander Zverev faces Karen Khachanov (3:00 PM ET), and eighth seed Ben Shelton faces 11th seed Frances Tiafoe (7:00 PM ET) on Friday, September 11. The winners meet in Sunday's final at 2:00 PM ET.

Is an American guaranteed to reach the US Open 2026 men's final?

Yes. Because Shelton and Tiafoe are playing each other in the semifinal, an American is guaranteed a place in Sunday's final for the first time since 2003.

Is the 2026 US Open on TV?

Yes. Both semifinals and both finals are on TV through ESPN and Tennis Channel, with the US Open's official app providing real-time scores and shot-by-shot stats alongside the broadcast.