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Elena Rybakina ended Aryna Sabalenka's two-year reign at the US Open with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory in the women's singles final on Saturday (local time), securing her maiden title at Flushing Meadows and reclaiming the world No 1 ranking.
The second-seeded Rybakina produced a composed performance to overcome the top seed and two-time defending champion in Arthur Ashe Stadium, denying Sabalenka a third consecutive US Open crown, according to the US Open website. Rybakina will move to the top of the WTA rankings when they are updated on Monday, replacing Sabalenka, who had occupied the No 1 position for 99 consecutive weeks. The Kazakhstani also completed another significant victory over Sabalenka in a rivalry that has produced several major encounters. Sabalenka still leads their head-to-head record 10-7, but Rybakina had previously defeated her in the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh and the 2026 Australian Open final. Sabalenka had responded by beating Rybakina in the finals at Indian Wells and the semifinals in Miami before the pair met again in New York. The final began with both players trading powerful groundstrokes from the baseline, but Rybakina was the more consistent player in the opening stages. She secured the first break to move 3-2 ahead and consolidated it with a comfortable hold. The second seed continued to apply pressure with her serve and aggressive returns, while Sabalenka struggled to match her opponent's consistency. Rybakina earned her first set point at 5-4 but failed to convert it, only to make no mistake on the next opportunity and take the opening set 6-4. Sabalenka improved in the second set and raised the intensity of the contest. The top seed faced three break points while serving at 5-5 but fought them off to take a 6-5 lead. She then created her first break point of the set, which doubled as a set point, and converted it to level the match at one set apiece. Rybakina, however, quickly regained control in the decider. She secured an early break to move 2-1 ahead and remained patient during the extended baseline exchanges, waiting for opportunities rather than forcing the issue. The Kazakhstani repeatedly benefited from Sabalenka's errors in the longer rallies and extended her advantage to 4-2. Rybakina then produced one of the points of the match at 4-2, rushing to the net to finish with a sharp volley after forcing Sabalenka wide. Serving for the championship at 5-2, Rybakina initially missed her first championship point with a double fault. She immediately recovered, however, and sealed the title with an ace on the following point. The victory marked Rybakina's first US Open crown and her third Grand Slam title. She had previously won Wimbledon in 2022 and the 2026 Australian Open. The result also prevented Sabalenka from becoming the first woman since Serena Williams to win three successive US Open singles titles. The meeting between the top two seeds was also significant historically, with the US Open women's singles final featuring the No 1 and No 2 seeds for the first time since 2013, when Serena Williams defeated Victoria Azarenka. For Rybakina, the victory capped a remarkable fortnight in New York and ensured that her first US Open title would also be accompanied by a return to the summit of women's tennis. (ANI)
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