Elena Rybakina Dethrones Aryna Sabalenka to Lift US Open Title in Dramatic Three-Setter

Elena Rybakina claimed her maiden US Open title by defeating top seed and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in New York.

The 27-year-old Kazakhstani reportedly registered the victory despite initial struggles with her trademark first serve, snatching the world No. 1 ranking from her Belarusian rival and cementing her status as the leading hard-court player on the planet.

Masterclass under Pressure

Rybakina entered the final following a demanding fortnight, having overcome an Achilles injury that sidelined her for a week prior to the tournament. She also navigated a brutal draw that featured four consecutive grand slam or Olympic champions in the second week.

Though her primary weapon her serve misfired early in the opening set, Rybakina relied on powerful baseline play to out-muscle Sabalenka. After Sabalenka fought back to level the match in the second set, Rybakina elevated her game in the decider, breaking early and closing out the victory with her 12th ace.

"It’s still so difficult to process what happened," Rybakina reportedly said after the match. "Too many achievements these few weeks. I’m super happy, very proud of all the work. Yeah, it’s just amazing. Difficult to find words, but super happy."

Dominance on Hard Courts

The victory adds the US Open to Rybakina's hard-court collection alongside her 2026 Australian Open title and the WTA Finals trophy. A former Wimbledon champion in 2022, Rybakina is now a French Open title away from achieving a career grand slam.

She reportedly joins an elite group of three-time major champions, including Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati, Ash Barty, Angelique Kerber and Virginia Wade.

The final marked only the second time since the Australian Open transitioned to hard courts in 1988 that the same two players contested both hard-court grand slam finals in a single year. It was also just the third occasion where the top two players clashed in a major final with the world No. 1 ranking on the line.

Disappointment for Sabalenka

For Sabalenka, the defeat ended her bid for a historic third consecutive US Open title. Though she initiated a warm embrace at the net, the Belarusian visibly struggled with the loss, throwing her racket and slumping in her courtside box before asking an approaching camera crew to leave her space.

Sabalenka has now reached eight consecutive hard-court grand slam finals, but her record in major finals dropped to 4-6.

"It’s really tough to control your emotions when you lose in the final of the grand slam and when you were trying to go for three-peat," Sabalenka reportedly said. "So I just wanted to let it go, because if I would hold it inside, right now or here or there on the court, I wouldn’t be able to say a word or I would just go not really nice over there."

The loss also ended Sabalenka’s 99-consecutive-week run at the top of the WTA rankings, the sixth-longest streak in history.