Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina will meet in Saturday’s US Open women’s singles final after eliminating Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff on Thursday. Sabalenka beat Pegula 7–5, 6–2; Rybakina recovered from a set down to beat Gauff 3–6, 6–4, 6–4.

The final is scheduled for 4 p.m. Eastern on September 12 at Arthur Ashe Stadium, according to the WTA’s official preview. It brings together the tournament’s top two seeds, with Sabalenka pursuing a third consecutive US Open title and Rybakina playing her first final in New York.

The stakes extend beyond one trophy, but the ranking question is already settled. Rybakina secured the next world No.1 ranking with her quarterfinal win over Zheng Qinwen. She will take over the top spot Monday regardless of Saturday’s result, ending Sabalenka’s current stay there.

The tournament announced that ranking milestone after Wednesday’s quarterfinal:

Watch the US Open’s official highlights of Rybakina’s semifinal comeback:

Sabalenka’s semifinal score shows how efficiently she handled the immediate assignment. The WTA’s match statistics list seven aces, three converted break points from eight chances and no service breaks conceded. Pegula had one break-point opportunity; Sabalenka saved it.

That performance followed a much tighter quarterfinal against Linda Noskova, which Sabalenka needed a deciding-set tiebreak to win. Rybakina also had to recover after dropping the opening set in both her quarterfinal and semifinal. Neither finalist has reached this stage without having to solve a difficult match.

Saturday also renews a rivalry that already decided a major this year. Rybakina beat Sabalenka in the Australian Open final. Sabalenka won their earlier Melbourne final in 2023, leaving their two previous Grand Slam title matches split.

Sabalenka leads their overall series 10–7, according to the WTA. That advantage offers context, not a prediction. Rybakina has already beaten her with a major trophy on the line this season, while Sabalenka brings two straight US Open titles back to the same court. The final will decide which of those recent successes carries further.