Serena Williams knocked out of U.S. Open semifinals, will lose No. 1 ranking

Serena Williams.
(Image credit: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images)

Karolina Pliskova defeated Serena Williams during the U.S. Open semifinals Thursday, 6-2, 7-6, becoming the fourth person to beat Williams and her sister, Venus, in the same Grand Slam.

Williams was eyeing her 23rd Grand Slam title and seventh U.S. Open championship. Last year, she was also beaten in the U.S. Open semifinals, and with her defeat, Williams lost the No. 1 ranking she has held for a record-tying 186 weeks; when the new rankings are released on Monday, Angelique Kerber will move up to No. 1.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.