Daijiworld Media Network - New York
New York, Sep 13: Elena Rybakina defeated defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to win her maiden US Open title at Arthur Ashe Stadium and claim the third Grand Slam crown of her career.
Rybakina's journey to the final was far from straightforward. Her participation at the US Open had been in doubt after she suffered an ankle injury during the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals. Unable to walk for several days, the Kazakh nevertheless made it to New York and advanced through her first four matches without dropping a set.
Rybakina entered the final knowing that she would become the new world number one regardless of the result. She subsequently replaced Sabalenka at the top of the rankings after overcoming physical concerns and a series of difficult challenges during the tournament.
Her toughest tests came against Zheng Qinwen and Coco Gauff, with Rybakina recovering from losing the opening set against both players.
The final against Sabalenka followed a similar pattern of momentum shifts. Rybakina claimed the opening set despite not being at her best on serve, using her returns effectively to put pressure on the Belarusian.
Sabalenka responded in the second set by raising the quality of her groundstrokes. She broke Rybakina when the Kazakh was serving for the set in the 12th game to level the match.
Rybakina, however, regained control in the deciding set. Her deep returns repeatedly pushed Sabalenka behind the baseline, while a break for 2-1 gave her the advantage. Sabalenka struggled to maintain consistency as the match progressed.
Rybakina had to wait an extra point to seal the championship after double-faulting on her first match point. She immediately recovered, firing an ace to clinch the title.
The victory is Rybakina's second Grand Slam title of 2026 following her Australian Open triumph. She previously won Wimbledon in 2022 and now needs only the French Open title to complete a career Grand Slam.
“I would put this moment right at the top. So many things have happened in the past couple of weeks. Becoming the number one ranked player and now lifting this US Open trophy. I have been coming to this tournament for so many years, and it was never a successful Grand Slam for me. Now things have changed, and it is just amazing. This one means a lot to me,” Rybakina told JioStar.
For Sabalenka, the defeat ended her bid to win the US Open for a third consecutive year. It was her fifth defeat in nine Grand Slam finals.