Elena Rybakina faced an incredibly tough test against Coco Gauff on home soil, but she came through it expertly.
The new world No 1 came back from a set down to dispatch the American in three sets to set up another clash with her great rival Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
As expected, Arthur Ashe Stadium was heavily in favour of Gauff and Rybakina had to soak up a lot of pressure to get herself back into the match.
Rybakina is one of the coolest players on the WTA Tour and she had no problem shutting out the Arthur Ashe noise to book her place in the final.
Speaking in her post-match press conference, Rybakina was asked about the noise from Gauff’s fans and whether it bothered her during the match.
More Elena Rybakina news
“I don’t know to be honest. I feel like it was a great match. Of course a lot of people today wanted Coco to win. It’s normal,” said the world No 1.
“In the beginning I felt like it was a very nice atmosphere. Only in the end when I was up in the third set the crowd really supported a lot Coco.
“But I tried to focus on myself. Tried to not listen. I feel like for me it was also first match on Ashe at night. I enjoyed the atmosphere even if the crowd was mostly for Coco.”
While Rybakina was able to put the loud crowd out of her mind, Gauff was not surprised at all to see the world No 1 act cool under pressure.
She too was asked about the atmosphere on Arthu Ashe in her post-match press conference and she applauded Rybakina for how she handled the crowd.
“I think Elena is probably the, not nonchalant because she’s not nonchalant… but you know, just no reaction ever. I’m sure it may appear that way but we’re all feeling nerves,” she said.
“How much of that she lets get to her, we don’t know. And I think that’s the strength of her. You can never see what she’s feeling. But for sure, she’s human.
“So she’s feeling nerves and all the things we all feel. She’s dealt with this on more than one occasion. She has the experience.”
Rybakina’s victory against Gauff at the US Open was the first of her career. The pair are now locked at one win apiece in their head-to-head, which is surprise considering how long they have been at the top of the WTA Tour. Gauff’s only victory came at the Canadian Open all the way back in 2022.
