Rybakina Beats Sabalenka to Win First US Open Title

Elena Rybakina defeated defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 on Saturday to claim her first US Open women’s singles championship. The victory earns Rybakina her third career Grand Slam title and ensures she will overtake Sabalenka for the world No. 1 ranking on Monday. The result also snapped Sabalenka’s 19-match winning streak at Flushing Meadows.

A High-Stakes Final at Flushing Meadows

The match at Arthur Ashe Stadium featured the top two players in women’s tennis, marking only the third time since 2000 that the world’s top two seeds met in the US Open women’s final. Unlike the previous two occurrences in 2002 and 2013, where top-seeded Serena Williams prevailed, Saturday’s final saw the challenger defeat the top seed.

Rybakina struggled with her primary weapon, putting less than half of her first serves into play. However, she generated 12 break point opportunities against Sabalenka’s serve and converted three. Sabalenka showed visible frustration during the opening set, receiving a warning from the chair umpire after hitting a ball into the stands following a double fault that gave Rybakina a 3-2 lead.

Ranking Shift and Season Records

Rybakina had already accumulated enough ranking points by reaching the semifinals to unseat Sabalenka from the top spot, ending Sabalenka’s 99-consecutive-week reign as world No. 1. The championship victory marks Rybakina’s second Grand Slam title of the season, having also defeated Sabalenka in the Australian Open final earlier in the year.

Both players, along with French Open champion Mirra Andreeva, now share a tour-leading three titles this season. Sabalenka had won their two prior meetings this year at Indian Wells and Miami, and retains a 10-8 lead in their head-to-head series overall. However, Sabalenka was unable to join Serena Williams as the only women since 2000 to win three consecutive US Open titles.

Tournament Turnaround and Prize Money

The victory capped a dramatic change in fortune for Rybakina at Flushing Meadows, where she had failed to advance past the fourth round in 10 previous appearances. Her preparation for the tournament had been disrupted by a foot injury that forced her to retire from a quarterfinal match against Iga Swiatek in Cincinnati. Speaking after her win, Rybakina reflected on her past struggles in New York, stating, “I’m falling in love with New York more and more.”

For her victory, the 27-year-old native of Russia, who represents Kazakhstan, earned $5.5 million in prize money—the largest single payout in Grand Slam history. Sabalenka took home $2.8 million as runner-up. Having previously won Wimbledon in 2022, Rybakina now needs only a French Open title to complete a career Grand Slam.

Background

The US Open women’s singles final brought together the dominant forces of recent women’s tennis. Aryna Sabalenka entered the match seeking her third consecutive title at Flushing Meadows, having reached at least the semifinals in six straight appearances. Elena Rybakina’s victory completes her ascension to the top of the WTA rankings, making her the first player representing Kazakhstan to hold the world No. 1 position.