Elena Rybakina beat Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-4 in the fourth round of the 2026 US Open on Monday. After eight trips to Flushing Meadows, the No. 2 seed finally owns a quarterfinal or deeper at every Grand Slam.
Elena Rybakina Controls Meeting with Naomi Osaka in Round of 16
The Osaka vs Rybakina matchup was one-sided from the opening game. Rybakina finished with 29 winners to Osaka's nine, winning 87% of her first-serve points and holding all nine of her service games.
She faced just one break point across two sets before sealing the win with an ace. The victory pushed her 2026 record to 46 wins.
For Osaka, the straight-sets loss extended a difficult stretch against elite opponents. The two-time US Open champion is just 1-8 this season when facing top 10 opponents. Osaka entered the match wearing athletic tape over a left Achilles issue that has lingered since the grass-court season.
"I can't really push off like I want, and when I land, it hurts a little," she said after the loss. The result marked the second time Rybakina ended her run this year, following their Toronto quarterfinal in July.
How Osaka vs Rybakina Impacts the WTA Rankings
Next, the two-time Grand Slam winner faces Qinwen Zheng after her 7-5, 6-3 upset of No. 8 Iga Świątek earlier Monday.
A victory there would also make Rybakina the world No. 1 for the first time.
