World number two Elena Rybakina rallied to overcome fifth-ranked Jessica Pegula 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 Wednesday to reach the WTA and ATP Miami Open semi-finals.
Reigning Australian Open champion Rybakina, a 26-year-old from Kazakhstan, fired 12 aces in beating the American, last year’s Miami runner-up, for their fifth consecutive meeting.
Rybakina next will play the winner of a later quarter-final between world number one Aryna Sabalenka, the defending champion from Belarus, and 45th-ranked American Hailey Baptiste, trying to reach her second WTA semi-final.
Rybakina improved to 6-3 all-time against Pegula, including an Indian Wells quarter-final and semi-finals of the Australian Open and last year’s WTA Finals on the way to titles. Pegula, who won last month’s WTA title in Dubai, broke twice to begin the match with a 4-0 lead when Rybakina netted a forehand in the opening game and sent a forehand long in the third.
Pegula held twice more to take the first set in 35 minutes when Rybakina netted a backhand, the American making only two unforced errors in the opening set.
Rybakina missed three overhead smashes in the fifth game of the second set but held serve then broke when Pegula swatted a forehand long for a 4-2 edge on the way to forcing a third set.
Rybakina broke Pegula to open the third set and stayed in command to advance after two hours and 15 minutes.
Sabalenka, who will face Baptiste for the first time, has not lost to an unseeded opponent since she fell to Czech Marketa Vondrousova in last June’s Berlin semi-finals. Sabalenka won titles this year at Brisbane and Indian Wells.
Her only 2026 loss was to Rybakina in the Australian Open final. It will be the 32nd career WTA quarter-final for Sabalenka.
Baptiste, who lost to Rybakina in the second round at Indian Wells, has captured four straight matches, the longest win streak of her WTA career. Her best WTA finish was a run to the Abu Dhabi semi-finals.
Earlie, Coco Gauff battled past Belinda Bencic to reach the semi-finals for the first time on Tuesday with a gruelling 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 victory. Fourth seed Gauff had considered skipping Miami after being forced to pull out during the fourth round at Indian Wells with a left-arm injury.
But the 22-year-old from Florida, who lives in nearby Delray Beach, was determined to play in what she considers to be her hometown tournament where she had never previously gone further than the last 16.
Gauff’s sense of determination was on full display at the Hard Rock Stadium’s main court on Tuesday as she weathered fluctuating form against the 12th-seeded Bencic to grind out victory. “I honestly didn’t think I would be in the semis so I’m really happy and proud of myself,” Gauff said.
“I think I proved a lot to myself this week, and I feel like with each match I’m getting better.
“Even though I’m still playing three sets, I feel like the level is getting better and better.”
Gauff, the French Open champion, will now face the Czech 13th seed Karolina Muchova in the last four as she chases her first Miami final appearance.
Gauff has won all five of her previous matches against Muchova. “You don’t think about the head-to-head,” Gauff said.
“There’s so many matches that we play that could go either way. I don’t really think about it -- especially when I play here, because I know how good she is.”
Muchova advanced to the last four earlier with a 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) defeat of Canadian 10th seed Victoria Mboko.
The 29-year-old Muchova admitted she had everything to prove against Gauff.
“I don’t have the best record against Coco, but I feel good,” Muchova said. “And you never know.”
Despite giving away 10 years to the teenaged Mboko, Muchova said she did not feel any sense of disadvantage against her younger opponent.
“I keep getting these questions this week like I’m really old or something,” Muchova said.
“I don’t feel that old - I feel like I’m still pretty young. In my head, I could be 20.”
