The 2026 US Open has reached its decisive stage, and the women’s draw is producing a rankings picture with major consequences. After all four quarter-finals were pushed to the limit, the semi-final lineup is set: Aryna Sabalenka will face Jessica Pegula, while Coco Gauff meets Elena Rybakina.

The biggest development is at the top of the WTA Rankings. Sabalenka, who has been world No 1 since October 2024, is about to lose that position to Rybakina. For the first time in her career, Rybakina will become world No 1, having gone one round better than her 2025 US Open showing.

Sabalenka’s title defence complicates the picture further. As the reigning champion, she is protecting 2,000 points and could slip as low as fourth depending on how the final two rounds play out. Pegula and Gauff remain third and fourth in the Live WTA Rankings, but both are still within reach of second.

There has also been movement elsewhere in the top 10. Mirra Andreeva and Linda Noskova stay fifth and sixth after their quarter-final exits, while Elina Svitolina has moved up from ninth to seventh despite a third-round departure, helped by improving on her 2025 result. Karolina Muchova and Iga Swiatek have both fallen back after losing points, and Amanda Anisimova has dropped to 11th following a third-round loss. Marta Kostyuk has taken her place in the top 10 for the first time.

Beyond that group, Diana Shnaider is up to 13th, Sorana Cirstea has reached 15th, and the Ukrainian trio of Oleksandra Oliynykova, Daria Snigur and Yulia Starodubtseva have each achieved new career-best rankings. Qinwen Zheng’s run to the quarter-finals as a qualifier has lifted her 69 places to 52nd.

Among the biggest setbacks, Naomi Osaka has fallen to 17th after a fourth-round exit, Daria Kasatkina is down to 85th after an opening-round defeat, and Emma Raducanu has slid to 89th after missing the tournament through injury.

Carlos Alcaraz’s run at the US Open came to an end in a five-set loss to Ben Shelton, and Greg Rusedski believes one tactical choice may have influenced the result. The world No 3, whose title defence was halted by a 7-6(5), 1-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7(7) defeat, was beaten by the ninth-ranked Shelton in a four-hour-and-28-minute match at Flushing Meadows.

Alcaraz had been seeking a third US Open title and an eighth Grand Slam crown overall. He also arrived having played his first tournament since sustaining a right wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in April.

The contest turned on narrow margins. Alcaraz led 5-3 and 6-5 in the deciding-set tiebreak, but Shelton edged the closing points to finish the job. Speaking on his Off Court With Greg Rusedski podcast, the former world No 4 argued that Alcaraz’s positioning on return gave Shelton too much room to operate.

“I think it was a little bit of a tactical mistake [from Alcaraz],” said the 1997 US Open finalist.

Rusedski suggested that standing so deep reduced Shelton’s aces but did not take enough time away from him. He said that approach gave Shelton more choices, including serve and volley patterns and a quicker first strike when Alcaraz sent the ball back with height.

“So, I think I would like to see Carlos try to stand in a little bit more at times like [Jannik] Sinner does, and that’s why Sinner does so well against Shelton is the way he reads it and he steps in and takes it a little bit earlier.

“When you give Shelton that option, and especially with the cleverness of the tactics of serving and volleying, and coming in and striking, and getting in as quick as you can, it was a good play.

“For me, sometimes you give up the aces to get that one or two games where you have a chance to break, because if Shelton’s hitting his spots, it’s almost impossible to break.

“He went the distance, it came down to one or two points, and Shelton played the big points fractionally better, and also in part just because Alcaraz has been away for so long.

“It has been mighty impressive what the Spaniard has done in his first week and a bit back from tennis after four and a half months.”

Martina Navratilova has stepped into the debate over the US Open’s late-night scheduling after Ben Shelton’s dramatic win over Carlos Alcaraz ended deep into Wednesday morning.

Shelton defeated Alcaraz 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7) in a quarter-final that lasted four hours and 28 minutes. The American, 23, has now reached his second semi-final at the New York Grand Slam and will meet Frances Tiafoe on Friday.

The contest began after 11pm on Tuesday and finished at 3:33am on Wednesday, making it the latest finish in US Open history. For Navratilova, that was another sign that the tournament has pushed the schedule too far.

In response to a tweet from tennis writer Christopher Clarey about the night-session setup, the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion wrote: “Something has got to give… this is not ok and it is not normal … no other sport might start at 11 AM or 11 PM. In the same event,”

The Shelton-Alcaraz match was not the only one at this year’s event to run into the early hours. Alexander Zverev’s five-set victories in the first and second round finished at 1:55am and 2:15am.

The women’s event has also produced extreme start times. Sofia Kenin’s opening-round win over Venus Williams began at 12:13am, setting a US Open record for the latest match start time, and ended just before 2am.

Navratilova expanded on her concerns after the Kenin-Williams match while speaking on Sky Sports. “It was the latest start for a women’s match ever. After midnight, and it could have been later. Tennis is the only sport that does this. I think it’s crazy,” said the former world No 1.

She added: “I think they need to fix the night session. It’s too late. I think they should play men’s singles and then maybe a doubles match. If you do women’s singles you can still have another doubles match, or another women’s singles. You’ll see get four sets of play minimum.

“Even if you put the women’s match on first and it’s three sets, the guys start by 10pm. If a men’s match goes five sets, you start at midnight.

“You’re never on the court at midnight and you never start a match at midnight, so it’s counterproductive for everybody, spectators and the players.”