Coco Gauff’s wayward overhead had barely landed behind the baseline Thursday night, and already fans at the U.S. Open were headed to the parking lot. For the first time since 2009 Wimbledon, the top four players in the women’s draw reached the semifinals of a major. Neither American—Gauff nor Jessica Pegula—emerged victorious, to the disappointment of 25,000 fans, give or take.
Strip away flags and nationality, however, and we are left with the two best players in the world vying for a title in the final. Winners of the past two hard-court majors, the top two seeds and the principals in the fiercest rivalry in the women’s game. Even the most rigid jingoists would have to admit: Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) vs. Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan) makes for a blockbuster women’s final.
