Elena Rybakina captured her maiden US Open crown on Saturday evening, overcoming two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in a gripping three-set final at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The 27-year-old Kazakh secured her third Grand Slam title with the victory, adding the Flushing Meadows trophy to her collection.
Rybakina also officially ascended to the summit of the world rankings, having already been guaranteed the top spot regardless of the final’s outcome.
It was the second time this year that Rybakina had beaten Sabalenka in a major final, having also triumphed in three sets at the Australian Open in January.
Though her first serve was uncharacteristically wayward in the opening set, Rybakina maintained her trademark composure and instead dismantled Sabalenka’s game with punishing returns from the baseline.
The Belarusian fought back in a closely contested second set, capitalising on a slight dip in Rybakina’s level and breaking in the twelfth game to force a decider.
Elena Rybakina captured her maiden US Open crown on Saturday evening, overcoming two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2
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Yet the third set belonged entirely to Rybakina, who conceded a mere three points on her own serve. She broke for a 2-1 advantage and never looked back.
A double fault on her first championship point offered a brief moment of tension, but she responded immediately with a booming ace to seal the title.
Sabalenka had been chasing history, aiming to become the first player since Serena Williams to lift three consecutive US Open trophies. The four-time Grand Slam champion was unable to contain her frustration as the decider slipped away, with erratic shot-making and visible negativity undermining her challenge.
The contrasting temperaments of the two rivals have become a defining feature of their burgeoning rivalry. Where Sabalenka runs hot, Rybakina is glacially calm — and that difference proved decisive under the lights in New York.
Sabalenka held a 10-7 advantage in their career head-to-head coming into the match, but Rybakina has now won both Grand Slam final encounters between them this year.
Aryna Sabalenka lost her ranking as world’s best female tennis player before the final and has now lost to the new world No. 1
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Rybakina’s Grand Slam journey began at Wimbledon in 2022, and she has now added two major titles in 2026 alone. Prior to this fortnight, she had never progressed beyond the fourth round at Flushing Meadows.
For Sabalenka, the defeat means she finishes the 2026 season without a single Grand Slam trophy — the first time that has happened since 2022.
The final was also notable for being the first time since 2013 that the top two seeds had met for the US Open women’s title. Sabalenka entered as the top seed, with Rybakina seeded second.
