Elena Rybakina has reached the top of women’s tennis in style, defeating Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to win her first US Open title and claim the world No. 1 ranking.
The second-seeded Kazakh produced another composed performance at Arthur Ashe Stadium to overcome the two-time defending champion and add a third Grand Slam title to her collection.
The victory capped a remarkable two weeks for Rybakina, who arrived in New York with doubts over her fitness after an Achilles injury had sidelined her for a week before the tournament. She also faced the pressure of a first opportunity to reach the top of the rankings.
Rather than allowing those challenges to derail her, Rybakina continued to find ways through difficult matches and saved one of her best performances for the final.
Her serve, usually one of the biggest weapons in her game, was not at its best early on, but she compensated with powerful baseline hitting to take control of the opening set.
Sabalenka fought back in the second, raising her level to force a deciding set and keep her hopes of a third consecutive US Open title alive.
Rybakina, however, remained calm. Her serve found another level at the start of the final set, allowing her to move through her service games while putting increasing pressure on Sabalenka.
A crucial break gave Rybakina control at 4-3, and she did not let the opportunity slip. She eventually closed out the championship with her 12th ace of the match, raising both hands in celebration.
“It’s still so difficult to process what happened,” Rybakina said. “Too much achievements these few weeks. I’m super happy, very proud of all the work.”
The triumph completes a remarkable run of major success for the 27-year-old. After winning Wimbledon in 2022 and the Australian Open earlier this year, Rybakina is now just one French Open title away from completing the career Grand Slam.
She also becomes the first Kazakhstani player to reach the world No. 1 ranking, ending Sabalenka’s 99-week reign at the top. Rybakina now holds three of the biggest hard-court titles in tennis: the Australian Open, US Open and WTA Finals.
For Sabalenka, the defeat ended her bid for a historic third straight US Open crown. The Belarusian had reached eight consecutive Grand Slam finals on hard courts, but could not produce her best tennis when it mattered most.
Despite the disappointment, Sabalenka acknowledged the significance of Rybakina’s achievement and the shift at the top of the women’s game.
The final also added another chapter to one of the sport’s biggest rivalries. Rybakina and Sabalenka had already met in the Australian Open final earlier this year, with Rybakina winning that encounter as well.
With another major victory over her biggest rival, Rybakina has now firmly established herself as the player to beat.
