Elena Rybakina captured her first US Open women’s singles title on Saturday, defeating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in a high-powered final at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The victory delivered Rybakina her first US Open crown and also secured the world No. 1 ranking, which she will claim when the rankings are updated on Monday. She will replace Sabalenka, who had held the top spot for 99 consecutive weeks.
The final brought together the tournament’s top two seeds and renewed one of women’s tennis’ most competitive rivalries. Sabalenka still leads their career head-to-head 10-7, but Rybakina had won their previous Grand Slam meeting in the 2026 Australian Open final.
Rybakina established control early, breaking Sabalenka to lead 3-2 and maintaining the advantage to take the opening set 6-4. Her powerful baseline game was matched by greater consistency, as she kept errors under control while forcing Sabalenka to defend.
Sabalenka responded in the second set, raising her level and producing more aggressive tennis. After saving three break points at 5-5, she secured a break in the following game to level the match by taking the set 7-5.
The decisive third set again turned on an early Rybakina break. She moved ahead 2-1 and used her patience and accuracy in long rallies to expose Sabalenka’s errors. Rybakina eventually built a 5-2 lead before serving for the championship. She missed her first match point with a double fault but immediately responded with an ace on the next point to seal the victory.
The triumph marked another significant chapter in the rivalry between the two players. Rybakina had also beaten Sabalenka in the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh, while Sabalenka had answered with victories over her at Indian Wells and Miami earlier in 2026.
For Sabalenka, the defeat ended her bid to become the first woman since Serena Williams to win three consecutive US Open titles. The tournament also represented her final opportunity of the year to maintain her record of winning at least one Grand Slam title every season since her breakthrough at the 2023 Australian Open.
The final was also notable as the first US Open women’s championship match since 2013 to feature the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, with Rybakina ultimately taking both the trophy and the top ranking from Sabalenka.
