Elena Rybakina defeated two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka at the 2026 US Open, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. During her run to the title—her first at a US Open—Rybakina also racked up enough points to rise to world No. 1 when the rankings are updated on Monday.
WHAT HAPPENED
No. 2 seed Rybakina has played the role of Sabalenka’s spoiler this Flushing fortnight.
In capturing the crown here, she not only prevented Sabalenka from “three-peating” at consecutive US Opens. But when Rybakina ascends to world No. 1 on Monday, she’ll be wresting the top spot from Sabalenka, who’s had the number one next to her name for 99 consecutive weeks.
It’s the stuff rivalries are made of.
Sabalenka owns the edge in their head-to-head, 10-7. But at the end of 2025, Rybakina beat Sabalenka in the WTA finals in Riyadh and a couple of months later, she won her second Grand Slam title, defeating Sabalenka in the final of the 2026 Australian Open. Then Sabalenka grabbed back-to-back titles in Indian Wells and Miami, after taking out Rybakina in the finals and semifinals, respectively.
Fast forward to the final of the 2026 US Open, where No. 1 seed Sabalenka and No. 2 seed Rybakina met yet again.The match, played in Arthur Ashe Stadium under a blazing September sun, started with an impressive display of powerful hitting. Both players are used to being the boss of the baseline and in the contest’s early games, Rybakina was a little bit bossier, earning the first break of the match to grab a 3-2 lead.
In response, Sabalenka sent a swatted ball skyward, which resulted in a ball abuse warning — a continuation of the fiery attitude that has seemed to both frustrate and fuel her all fortnight.
The 27-year-old Kazakhstani consolidated on her serve, tossing in an ace (her third thus far) on her way to a love hold. She was also playing a cleaner game, hitting seven winners and zero unforced errors in the match thus far.
Rybakina managed to extend her lead to 5-4, and, at the 45-minute mark, earned her first set point, but squandered it. But she converted on the next one, taking the first set, 6-4.
In her prior matches, Sabalenka was the one who sent her opponents scrambling to get a racquet on her heavy, driving shots. Rybakina turned the tables on her 28-year-old opponent, stunning her with both power and strategy.
Another difference maker? Sabalenka looked volatile on court, engaging in some savage-seeming self-talk, whereas Rybakina’s demeanor conveyed nothing but a calm confidence. From her, there was nary a fist pump in celebration or a scream of frustration.
In the second set, Sabalenka’s play improved, if not her mood. When the set tied at 5-5, the 28-year-old was running out of time. By temperament, Sabalenka tends to press when pressured, favoring risk over caution. She played big, rushing the net and painting the lines with her groundies, whether she was in position to make the shot or not. Still, she fended off three break points to earn a 6-5 advantage. And in the next game, Sabalenka finally managed a break point, which was also a set point. She took the second set, 7-5.
In the first set, Rybakina pulled off an early break, which she rode all the way to set’s end. In the third set, she pulled off the same feat, grabbing a 2-1 lead.
A pattern that served Rybakina well: in their many extended groundstroke exchanges, it was Sabalenka who lacked the shot tolerance, ending the point with a sometimes wild error. The more patient player, Rybakina seemed content to bide her time, waiting for a chance to hit a winner.
Another Sabalenka service game, another pressure point. Serving down 2-4, Sabalenka was pushed off the court chasing an dipping, angled shot. She popped it up short and Rybakina rushed to the net and executed a beautiful volley to win the game (that one earned a fist pump).
Up 5-2, Rybakina stepped up to serve for the match. She would double fault on her first championship point, up 40-15. But on the next point she aced her way to the win—and her first US Open title.
In an emotional on-court interview, Rybakina thanked her opponent for the challenging match. “You are a great champion,” she said to Sabalenka. “You push me to such a limit. I was diving on the court and just trying to get all the possible balls.”
The US Open’s newest women’s singles champion also expressed her love for the tournament. “I’m falling in love with New York more and more,” Rybakina said. “These are amazing memories for me.”
WHAT IT MEANS
The 2026 US Open was Sabalenka’s last chance to win a Grand Slam title, something she’s done at least once every year since 2023. That was when Sabalenka claimed her first major title, at the 2023 Australian Open, where she defeated, you guessed it, Rybakina in the final.
MATCH POINT
Logically, it would make sense that the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds would meet in a tournament’s final. But that hasn’t happened at a US Open’s women’s championship since 2013, when top seed Serena Williams defeated second-seeded Victoria Azarenka.
