For the first time in over 50 years, the top four seeds in the women's singles draw will compete in the semi-finals of the US Open.
The favourites have certainly lived up to the billing at the final Grand Slam of the season in New York City as Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff feature in the final four of the tournament.
In fact, it's the first time the top four seeds in the women's singles have all reached the semi-finals of any Grand Slam since Wimbledon in 2009. Women's tennis has often been an unpredictable landscape, but these four titans have flexed their superiority on the courts of Flushing Meadows.
Sabalenka is the woman to beat after winning the previous two US Open titles and the Belarusian is aiming to become the first female since Serena Williams over a decade ago to win the American Grand Slam three years running.
But there's additional pressure on the shoulders of Sabalenka, who has relinquished her world number one status to Rybakina and has one final opportunity to prolong her run of at least one Grand Slam title every season for the last four years.
Four-time major champion Sabalenka opposes one of the home favourites Pegula in the semi-finals.
Pegula is the only player remaining in the competition that hasn't won a Grand Slam title. The furthest she's advanced in a major is the 2024 US Open final, where she was defeated by none other than Sabalenka.
In last year's edition of the US Open, Pegula's hopes were dashed by Sabalenka once more as the American fell to a semi-final defeat. The pair are well acquainted, facing each other 13 times on the WTA Tour and Sabalenka has the upper hand with nine victories.
The other semi-final is a compelling affair.
Rybakina will officially be crowned the new world world number one on Monday, irrespective of how she fares at Flushing Meadows between now and Sunday, and the Kazakhstani is aiming to add the US Open crown to her Australian Open and Wimbledon titles.
It's a breakthrough run at New York City for the 27-year-old, who had to come from behind to conquer Qinwen Zheng in the quarter-finals. Rybakina had never previously gone beyond the fourth round in seven previous attempts, but she's maintained the level of tennis that's propelled her to the summit of the WTA rankings to book a semi-final date with Gauff.
Rybakina will be braced for a partisan crowd at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Gauff will have the full backing of the home faithful as she goes in search of a second US Open crown and third Grand Slam title.
Her experience at last year's US Open crown is a far cry from her journey at this year's tournament. Gauff's blundering serve reduced her to tears before crashing out in the fourth round, and the American has spent the last 12 months perfecting her service game to transform it into one of her most potent weapons.
Facing arguably the toughest quarter-final opponent in fifth seed Mirra Andreeva, Gauff saved two match points before roaring back to win 2-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-2 as her resilience came to the fore.
Sabalenka is the 11/8 favourite to be crowned US Open champion on Sunday, ahead of Rybakina, Gauff and Pegula, who is a 6/1 outsider.
Women's US Open odds
(Odds will display when markets are available).
All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
