New women’s No. 1 eyes more Grand Slam glory

NEW YORK (AFP) — Elena Rybakina will rise to No. 1 in the world rankings for the first time after reaching the US Open semifinals, but for the Kazakh star the chance at a third Grand Slam title remains her most pressing concern.

“It means a lot, of course,” Rybakina said after rallying to beat Paris Olympics gold medalist Zheng Qinwen in three sets in the quarterfinals to ensure she’ll supplant Aryna Sabalenka at the summit.

“It’s a great achievement, and I feel like you will appreciate and think about it even more when you finish your career,” Rybakina said.

“Now, you still need to keep on going. I still want to win the titles in the tournaments, so all my thoughts are just for the next match.”

That will be against fourth-seeded former champion Coco Gauff.

Rybakina knows that such opportunities can be few and far between. She won her second career Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January, four years after capturing her first at Wimbledon.

She’s especially grateful to have put herself so close to another major after a heel injury forced her out of the WTA tournament in Cincinnati last month.

Unable to walk without pain for several days, she’s had to cautiously manage her training, rest and treatment.

“It was not ideal, and I was stressed, of course,” Rybakina said as the tournament got underway, but she progressed through the first four rounds without dropping a set.