Aryna Sabalenka heard the roar before she saw what had happened.
The top-ranked player in women’s tennis was practicing on Court P1 beside Arthur Ashe Stadium when the crowd erupted Wednesday afternoon. Sabalenka walked toward the televisions at the U.S. Open practice pavilion, leaned against a fence and watched Elena Rybakina complete the victory that ended her 99-week reign at No. 1.
ESPN captured Sabalenka viewing the final points of Rybakina’s 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 quarterfinal victory over Zheng Qinwen.
There was no dramatic display. Sabalenka watched quietly, appeared to offer a small, knowing smile and then returned to work.
“Nothing she could do about it,” ESPN analyst Chris Evert said during the broadcast.
It was a strikingly ordinary end to an extraordinary run.
Aryna Sabalenka Watches No. 1 Ranking Slip Away
Rybakina entered the quarterfinal needing one more victory to guarantee that she would pass Sabalenka when the WTA rankings update Monday.
Sabalenka could not influence the outcome. She had already secured her semifinal place by surviving Linda Noskova in three sets Tuesday. Even winning a third consecutive U.S. Open title would not provide enough points to remain No. 1.
Rybakina will have at least 8,681 ranking points Monday, while Sabalenka can finish with no more than 8,575, even if she successfully defends her championship.
Sabalenka stopped her practice session to watch Rybakina close out the match, then resumed preparing for Jessica Pegula.
The scene offered no evidence of anger, only recognition. Sabalenka understood exactly what Rybakina’s final service hold meant.
Her uninterrupted reign, which began in October 2024, was over.
Elena Rybakina Completes Her Climb
Rybakina overcame a slow, tense opening set against Zheng before taking control. She finished with 20 winners and earned the decisive break at 4-all in the third set when Zheng double-faulted.
The victory sent Rybakina into her first U.S. Open semifinal and made her the 30th woman to reach No. 1 since the WTA rankings began in 1975. She is also the first player representing Kazakhstan, male or female, to occupy the top ranking.
“It’s just a number right now,” Rybakina said afterward, emphasizing that she remained focused on winning the tournament.
The understated response mirrored Sabalenka’s reaction from across the grounds. One player had reached the summit. The other had been displaced. Both still had matches to play.
Sabalenka Can Still Claim the Bigger Prize
Losing No. 1 does not eliminate Sabalenka’s chance to leave New York with the trophy.
The four-time major champion will face Pegula in one semifinal, while Rybakina meets 2023 U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff in the other. A Sabalenka-Rybakina final would extend a rivalry that has already shaped the season.
Rybakina defeated Sabalenka in the Australian Open final to capture her second major title. Sabalenka responded by beating her at Indian Wells and Miami.
Now Rybakina has taken the ranking Sabalenka held for nearly two years.
The ESPN cameras preserved the precise moment Sabalenka absorbed that reality. She did not linger. She turned from the television and went back to practice, still chasing the only prize available in New York that could matter more.
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