Rybakina beats Sabalenka to win US Open, claim No.1 ranking

Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 on Saturday to win her first US Open title and third Grand Slam crown. The victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium confirmed Rybakina's rise to world No.1, a position she had already secured by reaching the semi-finals.

The match lasted two hours and 21 minutes. Rybakina overcame a poor first-serve percentage in the opening set, landing only 27 percent of first serves yet still winning 6-4. She broke Sabalenka three times from 12 break-point chances and did not face a break point in the final set.

“It's tough to find words right now, honestly. I don't expect nothing like this coming to this tournament.”

Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, was attempting to become the first woman since Serena Williams (2012-14) to win three consecutive US Open titles. Her 19-match winning streak at Flushing Meadows ended with the loss. The Belarusian smashed her racket on court after the match.

Rybakina earned $5.5 million, the largest prize in Grand Slam history, while Sabalenka received $2.8 million. The Kazakh player has now won two majors in 2026 — the Australian Open and US Open — both against Sabalenka on hard courts.

"It's tough to find words right now, honestly," Rybakina said during the trophy ceremony. "I don't expect nothing like this coming to this tournament. I've been dealing with a little bit with an injury, but somehow everything aligned together on my side."