US Open: Elena Rybakina, the new queen of New York and the tour

Published on: 13/09/2026 - 02:02Updated on: 13/09/2026 - 02:23

4 min Reading time

The 27-year-old Kazakh player won 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 against Aryna Sabalenka, who suffered her second defeat of the season to her opponent in a Grand Slam final, following the Australian Open in January.

This victory marks her third major title, following Wimbledon in 2022, and extends her record to eight wins in eighteen encounters against the 28-year-old Belarusian, solidifying her status as the main rival on the circuit.

This matchup between the two best players in the world is starting to feel like a classic. Rybakina has played three of her four Grand Slam finals against the Belarusian, with two wins and one loss at the Australian Open in 2023.

“Congratulations on your amazing year. I wish I could have played a little better, but I guess that will be for next year,” Sabalenka said emotionally on the podium after her defeat.

This latest setback highlights the weaknesses of the Minsk native in Grand Slam finals, with four titles won but five finals lost.

No better than an eighth

A year before her loss in Melbourne to Rybakina, she was also surprised in the Australian Open final by American Madison Keys, before collapsing four months later against Coco Gauff at Roland Garros, committing no less than 70 unforced errors that day. Gauff also defeated her in the final in New York in 2023.

Born in Moscow but representing Kazakhstan on the circuit since 2018, Rybakina had never advanced past the round of 16 (2025) in eight appearances. Her withdrawal from Cincinnati just before the US Open due to left foot pain raised fears of a similar outcome.

“I’ve been coming here for ten years and I had never succeeded. I’m starting to fall in love with New York,” Rybakina said joyfully before receiving the trophy and the $5.5 million check designated for the winner, a record amount.

On Arthur Ashe Court, everything seemed to go Rybakina's way in the first set, where it took seven games for her to commit an unforced error.

Even with a lack of first serves (28% of serves in), Sabalenka never had a single opportunity to break in the first set. Worse, she lost her serve after a double fault without ever managing to close the gap with Rybakina.

Broken racket

The tide turned slightly in the second set, where the Kazakh made more errors (13 unforced errors compared to 8). Sabalenka, with determination, managed to save two break points early on before her efforts paid off to level the match at one set all.

However, Rybakina has never lost a match in New York after winning the first set (13-0 before the final). And this rule quickly proved true for her, taking advantage of her opponent's numerous errors (12).

Sabalenka wore a grim expression, the face of defeat in finals. She hid under her towel several times, expressed frustration towards her team, and shouted after missed shots.

Despite the crowd's encouragement for the two-time defending champion, Rybakina broke serve twice and clinched the title with her 12th ace of the match.

With teary eyes, the Belarusian congratulated her rival before breaking her racket as she sat down on her bench.

After more than two years at the top of the WTA rankings, Sabalenka thus relinquishes her position to Rybakina, along with her crown as queen of New York. She also becomes the third player of the 21st century to win both the Australian Open and the US Open in the same year, after Angelique Kerber (2016) and Aryna Sabalenka (2024).