2026 US Open Day 13: Men's Semis Live, Finals Set
Sabalenka vs. Rybakina confirmed for Saturday; Zverev, Khachanov, Shelton and Tiafoe battle tonight for the men's final
2026 US Open — Day 13 Briefing: Men's Semifinals, Doubles Final, and a Women's Showdown in Sight
Friday, September 11, 2026 | Flushing Meadows, New York
The 2026 US Open arrives at its penultimate day with the women's draw already decided and the men's draw delivering its last four.
Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina are set for Saturday's women's final after Sabalenka beat Jessica Pegula and Rybakina beat Coco Gauff on Thursday.
On the men's side,
the men's semifinals are scheduled for Friday evening, with No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev facing unseeded Karen Khachanov in the opener, with the all-American showdown between No. 8 seed Ben Shelton and No. 11 seed Frances Tiafoe in the highly anticipated night cap.
In Saturday's 2026 US Open women's final, the two-time defending champion Sabalenka seeks to become the first three-peat at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams from 2012–14, while Rybakina eyes her second major title in 2026 after defeating Sabalenka at the Australian Open.
Live title odds for all remaining markets are updated in real time at WeeBet's US Open hub — the definitive tracker for event contracts heading into finals weekend.
- Prize fund (2026)$0MRecord
- Women's finalSabalenka vs RybakinaSat 12 Sep
- Men's SFs todayZverev vs Khachanov / Shelton vs TiafoeFri 11 Sep
- H2H (Sab vs Ryb)0-7Sabalenka leads
- Latest finish in USO history0:33 a.m.Shelton-Alcaraz QF
Yesterday's Women's Semifinals: Four Top-10 Players, Two Exits
Thursday's women's semifinals at Arthur Ashe were a clean sweep for the top two seeds.
No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka advanced to another US Open final with a dominant performance against No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula, knocking out the American in straight sets, 7–5, 6–2.
Pegula had no answers for Sabalenka's power, as the top seed faced — and saved — just one break point in the entire match.
The second semifinal was more contested.
Elena Rybakina beat No. 4 seed Coco Gauff 3–6, 6–4, 6–4.
Gauff looked terrific early but saw her serve and her forehand steadily break down as the match progressed, while Rybakina shook off a rough opening set to play steady, solid tennis.
Pegula, Gauff, Qinwen Zheng, and Mirra Andreeva are all now eliminated.
Wednesday's Men's Quarterfinals: Zverev Cruises, Khachanov Advances via Retirement
The US Open continued on Wednesday when top seed Alexander Zverev and Karen Khachanov each earned quarterfinal wins to set a semifinal showdown in New York.
Zverev defeated Botic van de Zandschulp 6–2, 7–5, 6–1; Khachanov defeated No. 28 Alexander Blockx 6–2, 7–5, 3–2 (retirement).
The other half of the men's draw had already generated the biggest story of the fortnight.
Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion, lost in the quarterfinals to Ben Shelton — a defeat that guaranteed both a first-time US Open men's singles champion and a first-time men's finalist from the bottom half of the draw.
The quarterfinal match between Shelton and Alcaraz marked the latest finish in US Open history, at 3:33 a.m., surpassing the previous record from the 2022 quarterfinal between Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Frances Tiafoe is heading back to the semifinals at the US Open for the third time in his career, having erased a two-set deficit to beat Alex Michelsen 5–7, 3–6, 7–5, 6–3, 7–6 (10–6) inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
How the Markets Moved
The men's title market has been volatile.
Alcaraz had been the odds-on favourite at –165 going into Tuesday's action, but Alexander Zverev — who defeated Van de Zandschulp — is now the odds-on favourite at –110.
Shelton's victory catapulted him from +850 to +150, while Tiafoe moved from 22–1 to +700 after his own epic Tuesday victory.
On the women's side, the bracket has clarified title positions sharply.
Aryna Sabalenka sits as the outright tournament favourite, with Elena Rybakina trailing.
Rybakina has already locked up the No. 1 spot in the next batch of WTA world rankings, but she can fully assert herself as the game's new dominant force if she can prevent a Sabalenka three-peat.
If successful, she'll take home back-to-back Grand Slam titles on hard courts after breaking through at the Australian Open earlier this year.
For granular, set-by-set movement on both the women's final and today's men's semifinal markets, the WeeBet live hub at /events/us-open-tennis-2026 updates continuously throughout each session.
Women's Final Head-to-Head: Sabalenka vs. Rybakina
| Metric | Sabalenka | Rybakina |
|---|---|---|
| Overall H2H (WTA Tour) | 10 | 7 |
| Major final meetings | 1 | 1 |
| 2026 major titles | 0 | 1 (AO) |
| US Open titles (career) | 2 | 0 |
| Incoming WTA ranking (Mon) | No. 2 | No. 1 |
The Women's Final: Historical Stakes on Both Sides
The two will meet for the 18th time on the WTA Tour, with Sabalenka leading 10–7, and this will be their third meeting in major finals, splitting the previous two.
Sabalenka has become the first female or male player in the Open Era to reach eight consecutive Grand Slam finals on hard court, surpassing the seven reached by Steffi Graf (1987–90), Martina Hingis (1997–00), and Novak Djokovic (2010–13).
Sabalenka is aiming to become just the third woman in the Open Era to win the US Open three years in a row.
Elena Rybakina is also in top form — the two-time major champion, set to debut as world No. 1 on the WTA Tour next week, arrives after a thrilling three-set win over Coco Gauff.
Regardless of Saturday's result, Rybakina is set to take over the World No. 1 spot in the PIF WTA Rankings on Monday, and Sabalenka will drop down to No. 2.
That means Rybakina enters Saturday's match with nothing to lose in the rankings — and everything to gain in match history.
Today's Men's Semifinals: What to Watch
Both men's matches tonight carry exceptional narratives.
Zverev vs. Khachanov:
Top seed Zverev and Khachanov set their semifinal showdown after both earned quarterfinal wins.
Zverev enters as heavy favourite having not dropped a set against Van de Zandschulp on Wednesday. Khachanov, seeded outside the top 28 coming in, reached the final four on the back of Blockx's retirement but had earned his place point by point before that.
Shelton vs. Tiafoe:
Alcaraz's defeat guaranteed a first-time US Open men's singles champion and a first-time men's finalist from the bottom half of the draw.
That guarantee now turns the Shelton–Tiafoe match into the most American of all-American finals previews — whichever player wins Arthur Ashe tonight will be the first US man to play a US Open final in years. The crowd at Flushing Meadows will not be quiet.
Tournament Context: Prize Money and Notable Absences
The 2026 US Open has offered a record $108 million in total player compensation — the largest package in tennis history and an increase of 21% from 2025.
The men's and women's singles champions each receive $5,500,000, a 10% increase from the $5,000,000 awarded in 2025.
The draw has not lacked for storylines beyond the court either.
In men's singles play, four-time champion Novak Djokovic was eliminated in the first round — only the third time in his career that he lost in the opening round of a major.
In the women's bracket, big names went down before the quarterfinals, most notably Iga Swiatek (pre-tournament +550), Naomi Osaka (10–1), Amanda Anisimova (16–1), and Alexandra Eala (28–1).
Where to Follow Live Odds and Place Positions
All outright title markets, set-betting contracts, and live match positions for today's men's semifinals and Saturday's women's and men's finals are tracked in real time at WeeBet's dedicated hub: /events/us-open-tennis-2026. The hub pulls updated implied probabilities as each game is played — the fastest way to see how Zverev's or Shelton's odds shift through a live fifth set.
Please bet responsibly. If gambling is affecting you or someone you know, contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700 (US) or visit ncpgambling.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is playing in the 2026 US Open women's final?
Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka faces Elena Rybakina in the women's final after Sabalenka beat Jessica Pegula and Rybakina beat Coco Gauff on Thursday.
The singles final is scheduled for Arthur Ashe Stadium at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 12.
Who are the men's semifinalists at the 2026 US Open?
The men's semifinals feature No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev against unseeded Karen Khachanov, and No. 8 seed Ben Shelton against No. 11 seed Frances Tiafoe — scheduled for Friday evening.
What happened to Carlos Alcaraz at the 2026 US Open?
Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion, lost in the quarterfinals to Ben Shelton.
This marked Alcaraz's first singles appearance in over four months, following a wrist injury he suffered at the Barcelona Open.
What records are at stake in the 2026 US Open women's final?
Sabalenka seeks to become the first three-peat winner at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams from 2012–14.
Rybakina is seeking to become the sixth woman since 1988 to win both hard-court majors in the same calendar year.
Sabalenka has also already become the first player in the Open Era — male or female — to reach eight consecutive Grand Slam finals on hard court.
About the author
WeeBet's editorial desk: daily news, weekly analysis, and operator reviews across prediction markets, crypto gambling, sweepstakes, and DFS. Bylined collectively for cross-vertical perspective.
Related analyses
WeeBet Weekly
The week's biggest market move, in 4 minutes.
Every Friday: the top Polymarket and Kalshi price shift, one regulatory story that actually matters, and one chart. No fluff, no promo. Free.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. We'll never sell your email.