Rybakina continues path to become world No. 1 after advancing at US Open

[p]The Kazakh dominated most of the match with heavy, deep groundstrokes and big serves that the Spanish baseliner struggled to handle. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rybakina-elena/UDzElXdm/"]Rybakina[/a] moved well and did not show any effects of a left heel injury that had clouded her prospects in the week before the tournament.[/p][p]Rybakina was broken while serving for the match at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/bouzas-maneiro-j-Gj20DdaG/rybakina-e-UDzElXdm/?mid=8CBKkfbd"]5-3[/a] when the Spaniard lifted her level. But Rybakina immediately broke back, returning [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bouzas-maneiro-jessica/Gj20DdaG/"]Bouzas Maneiro[/a]'s serve forcefully to finish the match in just over an hour.[/p][image alt="Rybakina-Bouzas matchup stats" id="508a55a8-5ca6-4bc0-ab43-d1a4559c7515" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="c5cad4d8-7d73-4a9c-baf3-f468a3af94bf" original-width="2160" original-height="3840" /][p][b]"I'm super glad, super happy to be here,"[/b] Rybakina said afterwards, adding that she was [b]"very proud"[/b] of strong play through two rounds despite imperfect preparation.[/p][p]The 2026 Australian Open champion, Rybakina, had been playing well in the US Open warm-up tournaments, reaching the final in Toronto and winning matches the following week in Cincinnati.[/p][p]But she was forced to retire from the latter event in the quarter-finals due to an injury that made her a question mark heading into the tournament.[/p][embed guid="6100f5f4-0cc3-44fa-9b0d-774ce8319910" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnnfNaJ-8Dk&pp=ygUQUnliYWtpbmEgdXMgb3Blbg%3D%3D" social-type="youtube" /][p]Now the 2022 Wimbledon champion needs just three more wins to reach the semi-finals and be assured of overtaking [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sabalenka-aryna/vyhksgUB/"]Aryna Sabalenka[/a] atop the world rankings.[/p][p]Her best showing at the US Open was in 2025 when she fell in the fourth round to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vondrousova-marketa/EgKYrSR5/"]Marketa Vondrousova[/a].[/p][p]She'll be out for revenge in her next match against Ukrainian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/starodubtsewa-yulia/GlqMuuhi/"]Yuliia Starodubtseva[/a], who beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sakkari-maria/KjsokFUj/"]Maria Sakkari[/a] 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2.[/p][p]Starodubtseva stunned Rybakina in the second round at Roland Garros this year.[/p][infobox id="3dc51b3a-107f-482b-9173-a97d347ef1b3" /]