Coco Gauff saved two match points as she fought from a set down to beat Mirra Andreeva and set up a US Open semi-final against incoming world number one Elena Rybakina.
Blown away in a 26-minute opening set, fourth seed Gauff was twice pegged back from a break up in a scrappy second set before coming through a 16-point tie-break to force a decider.
Roared on by a partisan crowd, the American’s resilience proved the difference in what became a mental battle as she closed out a 2-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-2 win – a performance she said was inspired by compatriot Frances Tiafoe’s comeback victory over Alex Michelsen on Tuesday night.
Progression to the last four marks back-to-back Grand Slam semi-finals for the two-time major champion and her first in New York since winning the title in 2023.
It is the first time the top four seeds have reached the semi-finals of the women’s singles at a major since Wimbledon in 2009, after top seed Sabalenka and third seed Jessica Pegula progressed on Tuesday.
“At the end of the first set I was thinking about Frances and how he came back yesterday,” Gauff said.
“We all want to do well in front of this crowd. Honestly, I was just trying to leave the court with no regrets.”
Gauff also drew strength from her home crowd, something she has learned to embrace having struggled with the pressure of “disappointing” them with a “bad match” earlier in her career.
“I don’t have that fear of disappointing them. I’m just using them and knowing that when I step on this court, they’re still going to have my back,” she said.
Earlier, second seed Rybakina recovered from losing a set for the first time this tournament – and going break-point down in the decider – to beat Zheng Qinwen 3-6 6-1 6-4.
The 27-year arrived at the US Open trailing Aryna Sabalenka by just 434 points and was guaranteed to secure the number one ranking for the first time in her career by reaching the semi-finals.