Elena Rybakina completed a remarkable US Open triumph on Saturday, holding off top seed and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2
Elena Rybakina completed a remarkable US Open triumph on Saturday, holding off top seed and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in a gripping women’s final at Arthur Ashe Stadium to claim her third career Grand Slam title.
Rybakina came out sharp, dropping just three points on her own serve in the opening set while Sabalenka struggled with 15 unforced errors, before the Belarusian fought back to level the match by taking a tight second set.
But Rybakina regrouped, breaking early in the decider and again to move 5-2 ahead, sealing the win with an ace, her twelfth of the match.
The victory carries extra weight beyond the trophy: Rybakina will replace Sabalenka as the new WTA world No. 1 when rankings update, ending the Belarusian’s 99-week reign at the top and leaving her without a major title in 2026.
It marked the third Grand Slam meeting between the pair this year alone, with Rybakina having already beaten Sabalenka for the Australian Open crown in January.
The result also pushed Rybakina’s overall head-to-head record against Sabalenka to a lopsided 6-2 in her favour at major finals, and handed her a tenth career win over a world No. 1 player.
Speaking afterwards, an emotional Rybakina admitted she hadn’t expected such a result given she arrived in New York carrying an ankle injury that had threatened to derail her tournament before it even began.
“I didn’t expect anything like this coming into this tournament dealing with an injury, but somehow everything aligned on my side,” she said, crediting composure and precision for seeing her through the toughest stretches.
With the win, Rybakina pockets the $5.5 million winner’s prize and cements her status as tennis’ most in-form player heading into the season’s final stretch, while Sabalenka will look to regroup after finishing runner-up in New York for a second straight year.
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