NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 12: Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan returns a shot against Aryna Sabalenka in their Women’s Singles Final match on Day Fourteen of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 12, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
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Aryna Sabalenka is probably going to be seeing Elena Rybakina in her nightmares.
In the span of four days, Rybakina took Sabalenka’s world No. 1 ranking away from her and then ended her bid for a three-peat at the U.S. Open.
Playing concussive baseline tennis in her first U.S. Open final, No. 2 seed Rybakina edged No. 1 Sabalenka, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 before more than 23,000 in Arthur Ashe Stadium, to claim her third major title and her first U.S. Open. After double-faulting on her first match point, Rybakina closed out the match on the her second with her 12th ace.
Brad Pitt, Jake Paul and former U.S. Open champions Jennifer Capriati and Gabriela Sabatini were among those in the crowd.
Rybakina, the Russian-born Kazakhstani professional, won the title after retiring from her quarterfinal against Iga Swiatek at the Cincinnati open due to a left ankle and foot injury.
Rybakina also beat Sabalenka in the Australian Open final, and in the WTA Tour Finals final last year.
The win snapped Sabalenka’s 19-match winning streak in New York. She is now 4-5 in major finals.
Rybakina, who will officially become world No. 1 on Monday, now has 10 career wins vs. the world No. 1, including six against Sabalenka. Sabalenka leads their career head-to-head 10-8, but Rybakina leads 8-7 on hardcourts.
She will take home $5.5 million with the title, while Sabalenka, who has been world No. 1 for 99 straight weeks, collects $2.8 million.
In the decisive third set, Rybakina broke for 2-1 when Sabalenka sailed a forehand long on break point.
Rybakina showed no nerves and calmly held at love for 4-2.
Serving for the match at 5-2, she won it on her second mach point with an ace up the T. She dealt five aces in the final set.
With Sabalenka serving at 2-4, Rybakina seized the second break point with a forehand volley winner after an approach up the line.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 12: Aryna Sabalenka returns a shot against Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in their Women’s Singles Final match on Day Fourteen of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 12, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
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In the first set, Sabalenka double-faulted on break point to hand Rybakina a 3-2 advantage.
On the second set point on Rybakina’s serve at 5-4, she closed it out with dominant baseline play, moving Sabalenka from side to side before Sabalenka sailed a backhand long.
With Rybakina serving at 4-5, 15-40 in the second set, Sabalenka had two set points. But Rybakina saved both of them, and then held with a forehand winner into the corner that Sabalenka could not retrieve.
But with Rybakina serving at 5-6 to stay in the second set, she was when Sabalenka hit a massive backhand return winner.
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