New World No. 1 Elena Rybakina defeated home favourite Coco Gauff to reach her first US Open final, but received a cold reception from the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd. The muted applause and mass walkout following her victory sparked significant backlash on social media, with fans condemning the audience's disrespectful behavior.
The new World No.1 and Kazakhstani tennis star Elena Rybakina received a cold reception from the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd after staging a brilliant comeback to defeat home favourite Coco Gauff on Thursday, September 10.
Rybakina lost the opening set 3-6 before making a comeback by winning the next two sets 6-4, 6-4 to advance to her first-ever US Open final and the fourth Grand Slam final of her career. This was the second time in the ongoing edition of the tournament that the Kazakhstani tennis star dropped a set, having previously bounced back from a set down against Qinwen Zheng of China in the quarterfinals.
Ahead of the semifinal, Elena Rybakina dethroned Aryna Sabalenka from the top of the WTA rankings, securing the world No. 1 spot following her quarterfinal victory. She will officially become the top-ranked player once the WTA releases the updated ranking list after the US Open 2026.
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Rybakina Receives Cold Crowd Reaction After Semifinal Win
As Elena Rybakina advanced to her first US Open final, the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd made their disappointment clear, offering a muted and chilly reception after she ended the tournament hopes of American star Coco Gauff.
In a video posted by the US Open on its X (formerly Twitter) handle, after Rybakina won the match point, the sparse and disappointed stands offered very little applause, with large portions of the crowd clearing out before her on-court post-match interview could even begin.
Addressing the partisan atmosphere head-on during her post-match interview, Rybakina kept her composure, acknowledging the crowd's clear preference by stating, "I know you guys wanted her to win.”
“I know you guys wanted Coco to win. I think it was really a battle. A few moments went my way. In the end, I was just trying to be focused and stay aggressive and somehow won the match,” the Kazakhstani tennis star said.
The US Open semifinal marked the third official tour meeting between Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff, with Rybakina taking a 2-1 lead in their head-to-head record following her hard-fought victory at Flushing Meadows.
Fans Slam Arthur Ashe Crowd After Mass Walkout
Arthur Ashe crowd’s cold response to Elena Rybakina’s semifinal victory over Coco Gauff has sparked a massive wave of backlash on social media, with fans and spectators taking to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the unceremonious mass walkout.
Taking to their X handles, several fans criticised the crowd for failing to stay and applaud Rybakina after her hard-fought victory. One described the spectators as ‘disgraceful’ and ‘disgusting’, while another said the crowd was “disrespecting Elena” by not staying to applaud her win. Some fans also expressed their disappointment over the lack of appreciation for Rybakina's performance.
Others also slammed the spectators for leaving the stadium so quickly instead of acknowledging Rybakina’s victory. One fan called it a “disgrace” and claimed the US Open had the ‘worst crowd of all Grand Slams’, while a few questioned why the crowd did not even applaud Rybakina after her win.
Meanwhile, Elena Rybakina will aim for her maiden US Open triumph and her second Grand Slam title following her 2022 Wimbledon crown when she takes on defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the much-anticipated final on Saturday, September 12.
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