Elena Rybakina secured the women's world number one ranking for the first time after rallying to defeat Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the US Open quarterfinals on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old Kazakh, seeded second, will replace Aryna Sabalenka atop the WTA rankings when they update on Monday. Sabalenka's 99 consecutive weeks at No. 1 come to an end, marking the sixth-longest consecutive reign in history.

Rybakina becomes the first player from Kazakhstan, male or female, to reach the top spot. She described the achievement as significant but said her focus remains on winning titles, starting with Thursday's semifinal against American Coco Gauff.

"It's just a number right now," Rybakina said. "It's a different achievement, but mostly you think about the titles in the end of the day."

Rybakina overcame an early deficit against the Olympic champion Zheng, who had built a reputation for comebacks at Flushing Meadows. After dropping the first set, Rybakina dominated the second and closed out the third by winning the final three games.

Gauff advanced to the semifinal by saving two match points to beat fifth seed Mirra Andreeva 2-6, 7-6(9/7), 6-2. The other semifinal features top seed Sabalenka against third seed Jessica Pegula.

This marks the first time since Wimbledon 2009 that the top four seeds have all reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam. Rybakina, who won Wimbledon in 2022 and the Australian Open earlier this year, seeks her third major title.