Elena Rybakina dismantled Aryna Sabalenka's bid for a third consecutive US Open crown on Saturday, prevailing 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in a compelling women's singles final at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The victory delivers Rybakina her first title in New York and her third career Grand Slam, while simultaneously crowning her the new world No. 1.
The 27-year-old, seeded second, needed two hours and 21 minutes to subdue a visibly frustrated top seed who had held the top ranking for 99 weeks. In claiming the trophy, Rybakina becomes the third player since 2000 to win the Australian Open and US Open in the same season, following Angelique Kerber in 2016 and Sabalenka herself last year. She now sits one Roland Garros title away from completing the Career Slam.
A First Set Defined by Resilience
Rybakina seized control early despite a statistical anomaly: she won the opening set while landing just 27 percent of her first serves. It was a testament to her commanding second serve and aggressive return game that Sabalenka never earned a single break point across the 44-minute opener.
The Belarusian cut an exasperated figure throughout, turning to her coaching box to voice her displeasure and mouthing frustration at herself between points. Yet Sabalenka's body language told only half the story — she was losing ground to an opponent who was reading her patterns with clinical precision.
Rybakina broke early to establish a cushion and never relinquished it. When she served out the set at 6-4, the Kazakhstan-based Russian had yet to concede a break point, an almost paradoxical stat given her first-serve struggles.
Sabalenka Fights Back, Then Crumbles
The second set promised a shift in momentum. Sabalenka, a two-time defending champion at this venue, moved with greater conviction and began finding depth on her forehand. At 5-4, she held two opportunities to close out the set but could not convert as Rybakina clawed back both times.
The tiebreaker never materialized. Sabalenka eventually ground through the set 7-5, forcing a decider and momentarily reigniting hopes of an improbable three-peat.
Any momentum proved fleeting. Rybakina emerged for the third set with a decisiveness that bordered on ruthless, racing to a 5-2 lead through two breaks of serve. Sabalenka, who had battled so tenaciously to level the match, suddenly had no answers. Her frustration, building since the first set, finally boiled over as she slid further behind.
At match point, Rybakina needed just one more statement. She uncorked an ace — the definitive punctuation mark on a dominant final set — and collapsed to the court in celebration.
Historic Company
The victory places Rybakina in rarefied air. Her third Grand Slam title — Wimbledon in 2022, the Australian Open earlier this year, and now the US Open — gives her three majors before turning 28. She ties Sabalenka and French Open champion Mirra Andreeva for the tour lead in titles this season with three, and has earned a reported $5.5 million — the largest single prize in Grand Slam history.
"I didn't expect nothing like this coming to this tournament," Rybakina said during the on-court ceremony. "I've been dealing with a little injury but somehow everything aligned together on my side."
Her head-to-head record against Sabalenka now reads 8-10, but the recent trajectory tells a different story. All three of her latest wins in the rivalry have come on the biggest stages: the WTA Finals championship last autumn, the Australian Open final in January, and Saturday's US Open final.
"I honestly was coming here for the last 10 years and it was never successful," Rybakina added, thanking the crowd for an "amazing atmosphere." She called Sabalenka a "great champion," acknowledging the difficulty of facing an opponent who pushes her to absolute limits.
Sabalenka's Reign Ends
For Sabalenka, the defeat marks the end of a remarkable run at the top. The Belarusian had dominated the women's game with a blend of raw power and mental fortitude that carried her to consecutive US Open titles in 2024 and 2025. But on Saturday, that power was blunted by an opponent who absorbed her best shots and turned defense into attack.
Rybakina's serves — even the off-speed ones — proved devastatingly effective. Her ability to dictate rallies from the baseline, particularly on the backhand side, left Sabalenka scrambling in ways she has rarely experienced at Flushing Meadows.
The new No. 1 now turns her attention to the WTA Finals in the California desert, where the season's best players will converge. For Rybakina, the path ahead is clear: finish 2026 as the undisputed queen of women's tennis, with a potential Career Slam on the horizon at next year's French Open.
Sources
- https://www.wtatennis.com/news/4575707/rybakina-halts-sabalenkas-three-peat-bid-to-capture-first-us-open-title
- https://edition.cnn.com/2026/09/12/sport/womens-us-open-final-2026
