Elena Rybakina needs one more victory to claim the WTA No.1 ranking after a commanding 6-1 6-4 win over Naomi Osaka in the US Open fourth round. The second seed produced a clinical display in Louis Armstrong Stadium, handing Osaka a defeat that sets up a quarter-final date with China’s Zheng Qinwen and places the top ranking within reach.
The 27-year-old, the reigning Australian Open champion, built the victory around depth from the baseline and a potent serve, losing just four points on serve across a 66-minute match. Rybakina broke Osaka twice early to take the opening set in 21 minutes and never ceded control. She finished with seven aces and 29 winners to Osaka’s nine.
Osaka, seeded 13th and a two-time Grand Slam champion, pushed harder in the second set but was unable to convert her only break point. Rybakina broke to lead 4-3 and then closed out the match, preserving the momentum she will carry into the last eight.
Asked about the prospect of reaching number one, Rybakina said, "Of course I want it, I don't know anyone who won't want this. I tried to approach it the same way and do everything I can, and fight to the end of my next match." She added, "If I serve as well as I did today, I think I can do well. Let's hope it goes my way."
A quarter-final win in New York would lift Rybakina to the top of the WTA rankings, a change that would occur even if current top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka goes on to defend her title. Her opponent, Zheng, arrives after a dramatic comeback in which she recovered from 5-0 down in the first set to beat former champion Iga Swiatek, a result that eliminated a past winner and increased the stakes for Rybakina.
The immediate question is whether Rybakina can sustain the serving form and power that delivered this win when she meets Zheng in the last eight. The match now carries not only Grand Slam progression but the potential to reshuffle the top of the rankings, with both players aware that a single victory will reshuffle careers as well as the draw.
