Up to date Sept. 12, 2026, 7:18 p.m. ET
NEW YORK — In a battle between the highest two ranked gamers in girls’s tennis, Elena Rybakina ended Aryna Sabalenka’s bid for a 3rd straight US Open title with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory within the remaining, cementing her standing because the newly topped No. 1-ranked participant on the earth.
“It’s robust to seek out phrases proper now, truthfully,” Rybakina mentioned throughout her on-court interview. “I don’t anticipate nothing like this coming to this event. I’ve been coping with just a little bit with an damage, however by some means every part aligned collectively on my facet.”
Sabalenka was trying to turn into the third girl within the Open Period, and the primary since Serena Williams in 2012-2014, to win three or extra consecutive US Open titles, however was tormented by a flurry of unforced errors, committing 14 of her 35 within the first set alone.
The ultimate was a rematch of the Australian Open remaining in January, which Rybakina gained, however Sabalenka beat the No. 2 within the Indian Wells remaining and within the Miami semifinals. This was their fifteenth time enjoying on a tough court docket, with Rybakina now taking an 8-7 lead in these conferences.
Rybakina received solely 27% of her first serves in profitable the primary set, however discovered the candy spots on the court docket, the place it was simple for Sabalenka to make errors. After Sabalenka performed maybe her greatest stretch of tennis by placing Jessica Pegula away within the semifinals, previous habits began to creep in, main her down the trail to defeat.
A double-fault handed Rybakina the fifth sport of the set, and Sabalenka’s feelings received the most effective of her, and he or she hit the ball excessive within the stands, the place it was caught by a fan. The four-time Grand Slam winner continued to be demonstrative all through the match, at occasions throwing her palms within the air, speaking to herself, dropping her racket, and pointing towards her teaching field in frustration.
The service video games for each gamers had been working within the second set, and neither participant might break by the primary 11 video games. Sabalenka twice had the possibility to finish the set within the tenth sport, however did not convert, dropping the sport with 4 straight errors. One other alternative to interrupt was profitable, sending the match to the decisive third set.
Rybakina, a 27-year-old born in Russia and representing Kazakhstan, sprinted out to a 4-1 lead within the remaining set, and when Sabalenka could not deal with a return on match level, scoring an ace, she had captured her third Grand Slam title. She took house $5.5 million for profitable the event.
Sabalenka, who smashed her racket after the defeat, earned $2.8 million for her runner-up end.
“I actually felt like house right here and can’t wait to return again subsequent 12 months,” Sabalenka mentioned. “I want I might carry out just a little bit higher however I assume subsequent 12 months.”
Sabalenka had held the highest rating for 99 consecutive weeks and entered the event because the No. 1 seed, however after Rybakina’s quarterfinal win over Qinwen Zheng, she vaulted to the highest of the rankings and was going to carry on to it, it doesn’t matter what occurred at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
