Elena Rybakina derails Aryna Sabalenka's bid for third US Open title, cements her rise to top of world tennis

(With information from AFP) Elena Rybakina was crowned US Open champion after defeating Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in the final by a score of 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. The Kazakhstani's victory dashed Sabalenka's hopes of winning her third consecutive title in New York, while also underscoring the shift at the top of the WTA world rankings.

Rybakina, who had already secured her rise to the No. 1 ranking by reaching the tournament's semifinals, thus added the third Grand Slam title of her career following her victories at Wimbledon 2022 and the 2026 Australian Open this past January.

"It feels amazing. It's still so difficult to process what happened. Too many achievements these few weeks. I'm super happy and very proud of all the work," Rybakina said after the match.

Rybakina's victory snapped a streak of 20 consecutive wins for Sabalenka at Flushing Meadows, where the Belarusian had claimed the title in 2024 and 2025. Sabalenka was aiming to become just the third player in the modern era, alongside Chris Evert and Serena Williams, to win three consecutive titles in the Big Apple.

Dominance on serve and a response to Sabalenka's comeback

The match was marked by the power of both players' serves and groundstrokes.

Rybakina took the early lead in the fifth game of the first set after breaking Sabalenka's serve. Sabalenka showed signs of frustration after committing a double fault and receiving a warning from the chair umpire for hitting the ball into the stands. The Kazakhstani closed out the set 6-4 with a backhand winner.

In the second set, Sabalenka raised her level of effectiveness on serve and managed to save break points at crucial moments. After keeping the score close until 6-5, the Belarusian secured her first break of the match to take the set 7-5 and force a decisive set.

Despite her opponent's momentum, Rybakina regained control in the third set with an early break. The Kazakhstani remained aggressive on her returns and, after weathering a final stretch that included two double faults while serving for the match, sealed the victory with an ace.

"I'm obviously not really happy with the level I played today. But she served incredible. She played really aggressive, great tennis. She was simply a better player today than me," acknowledged Sabalenka, who will end the season without a Grand Slam title.