Rybakina thumps Osaka to reach U.S. Open quarters, close in on top ranking

Elena Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, celebrates winning a match against Naomi Osaka, of Japan, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, in New York. | Photo Credit: AP Elena Rybakina cleared another big hurdle in ​her bid to win a third Grand Slam ‌title by outclassing former U.S. Open ​champion Naomi Osaka 6-1 6-4 ⁠on Monday (September 7, 2026) to reach the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows.The flawless victory for Rybakina, who won Wimbledon ‌in 2022 and this year's Australian Open, booked a last-eight clash with ‌Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen and left ‌the ⁠Kazakh one match win away from ⁠becoming world number one for the first time.Second seed Rybakina raced through the opening set in 22 ​minutes, converting two ‌of her three break-point opportunities before sealing it with a booming serve to leave two-times New York champion Osaka on ‌the ropes at Louis Armstrong Stadium.The ​13th-seeded Osaka, who had arrived in style in a fur-collared overcoat that ⁠featured oversized signage, a mural-like city scene and a portrait, showed greater resistance early ‌in the second set, but Rybakina soon seized control again.Osaka clutched her left leg at 2-2 in the second set, still feeling the effects of an Achilles niggle that flared up in the ‌third round, but the 28-year-old managed to save a ​break point and stay in the fight.Rybakina continued to heap pressure on ⁠Osaka with her deep groundstrokes and earned ⁠the decisive break in the seventh game when her Japanese opponent hit ‌a forehand into the net, before she closed out the match in 66 ​minutes. Published - September 08, 2026 03:18 am IST