NEW YORK — Elena Rybakina has officially taken over the top of women’s tennis.
The Kazakhstan representative defeated two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, in a gripping US Open final at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday, capturing her first US Open championship and the third Grand Slam title of her career.
The victory completed a remarkable 2026 hard-court double for Rybakina. Earlier this year, she also defeated Sabalenka in the Australian Open final. With the New York triumph, Rybakina has now beaten the same rival in both hard-court Grand Slam finals this season.
But the biggest prize was not just the trophy.
Rybakina will become the world No. 1 when the rankings are updated, ending Sabalenka’s 99-week reign at the top. She also becomes the first player representing Kazakhstan to reach No. 1 in women’s singles.
From injury concerns to US Open champion
Rybakina’s victory was even more remarkable because her participation in New York had been in doubt after an ankle injury disrupted her preparations.
Despite those concerns, she survived a demanding tournament and produced her best tennis when the stakes were highest. Before facing Sabalenka in the final, Rybakina had already overcome a formidable path that included Grand Slam-level opponents.
Against Sabalenka, the Kazakh star relied on her powerful baseline game and increasingly effective return game to disrupt the defending champion’s rhythm.
Rybakina took the opening set 6-4 before Sabalenka fought back in the second. The Belarusian saved her title defense by taking the set 7-5, forcing another deciding set between two of the most powerful players in women’s tennis.
But Rybakina refused to crack.
She broke Sabalenka early in the third set, established control of the rallies and added another break before closing out the championship 6-2.
The entire battle lasted 2 hours and 21 minutes.
Sabalenka’s three-peat dream collapses
For Sabalenka, the defeat brought an abrupt end to her bid to become a three-time consecutive US Open champion.
She entered the final as the defending champion and the world’s No. 1 player, but Rybakina’s relentless returning and composure prevented her from extending her dominance in New York.
The loss also ended Sabalenka’s remarkable winning run at the US Open. Reuters reported that Rybakina’s victory snapped Sabalenka’s 20-match winning streak at Flushing Meadows.
A new era at No. 1
Rybakina’s rise to the top represents another major milestone in an already extraordinary career.
She won her first Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2022, captured the Australian Open earlier in 2026 and has now added the US Open to her collection.
At just 27, she is now one French Open title away from completing a career Grand Slam.
Her latest triumph also reinforces her growing dominance on hard courts. Twice in 2026, she has faced Sabalenka in a Grand Slam final on the surface — and twice she has walked away with the trophy.
For Sabalenka, meanwhile, the defeat marks the end of her long stay at No. 1.
For Rybakina, it signals something much bigger: the beginning of a new chapter at the summit of women’s tennis.
The US Open crown is finally hers. And now, so is the No. 1 ranking.
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