Elena Rybakina arrived in New York knowing she would leave as the world’s new No. 1 player. She now has the US Open trophy to go with it.
The Kazakh defeated defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the final to claim her first US Open title. The 27-year-old will replace Sabalenka at the top of the WTA rankings on Monday, ending the Belarusian’s 99-week run as world No. 1.
With stars including Brad Pitt, Pink and Paris Hilton watching from the stands, Sabalenka struggled to maintain the consistency required to complete a historic US Open hat-trick. Only Serena Williams, who won the tournament from 2012 to 2014, and Chris Evert, who claimed four straight titles between 1975 and 1978, had previously achieved the feat.
For Rybakina, the victory completes a remarkable Grand Slam collection. The Wimbledon champion from 2022 and Australian Open winner earlier this year now has three major titles to her name.
She will also receive a record $5.5 million prize, worth roughly €4.7 million.
Sabalenka unable to control the errors
The final was a rematch of the Australian Open championship match earlier this season, when Rybakina also came out on top.
Both players began with the powerful baseline tennis that has become their trademark. Rybakina created the first two break opportunities, but Sabalenka saved both and celebrated the escapes with a trademark “Let’s Go!”
The Belarusian soon began to struggle with her accuracy. A double fault handed Rybakina the first break for a 3-2 lead, prompting Sabalenka to angrily smash a ball into the stands and receive a warning.
Rybakina was not entirely immune to the pressure either, but she gradually settled into the match. After 44 minutes, she secured the opening set despite landing only 27% of her first serves.
Sabalenka left the court visibly frustrated, while Rybakina spent more time discussing the match with her coaching team.
The second set brought a more composed Sabalenka. Her groundstrokes became more precise and she added greater variety to her game, repeatedly using successful drop shots.
At 5-4, she missed two opportunities to close out the set. But she did not let the chance slip again. Around 15 minutes later, a powerful backhand return finally gave Sabalenka t
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