Rybakina defeats Sabalenka to win first-ever US Open title
Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina earned a 6-4 5-7 6-2 win over Aryna Sabalenka to win the 2026 US Open for the first time in her career on Saturday.
It was her third career Grand Slam after winning the Wimbledon Open in 2022, and the 2026 Australian Open earlier this year.
It was the first time Rybakina will advance past the fourth round since she started participating in the tournament.
Sabalenka was looking to become only the third woman to achieve a New York ‘three-peat’ in the Open era, after Chris Evert and Serena Williams, but Rybakina denied her.
Rybakina started on a good note winning the first set despite enduring a poor serve.
She maintained her composure to win the remaining sets which crowned her the champion of the tournament.
Rybakina was delighted to win her first US Open title despite struggling with injury before the start of the tournament.
She said: “Some magic is happening. I was so unlucky with the injury [before the start of the tournament]. I was going day by day and my team were quite positive. Even in the beginning we didn’t know how it was going to be so I’m super happy and very proud. I still can’t believe it.
Following her impressive performances at the tournament, she will now spend the rest of the year as the World number one in the rankings.
Rybakina added: “I was relieved to get to No 1 but I knew there were two more matches to push and it would be such a milestone winning the tournament here so I was focussed and trying not to see too many messages. Everything was working today.”
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Sabalenka congratulated Rybakina for winning the US Open title.
She said: “The last thing I want to do right now is give a speech, but I’ll try my very best. Thank you everyone. Thank you for all your support.
“I want to congratulate Elena on an incredible year, an incredible result. Well deserved. Enjoy it tonight, and have fun. So I can win some titles!
“I wish I could have performed a little bit better, but I guess there’s next year.”
Rybakina has won 14 WTA Tour-level singles titles, including three majors at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, the 2026 Australian Open, and the 2026 US Open, as well as the 2025 WTA Finals and two WTA 1000 events.
She is the first Kazakhstani player to win a major and to be ranked world No. 1 and in the world’s top 10.
