NEW YORK — Elena Rybakina denied Aryna Sabalenka a third straight US Open title, punctuating her rise to world number one with a victory over the player she’s replacing at the summit.
Rybakina, already assured of supplanting Sabalenka atop the rankings by reaching the semi-finals in New York, triumphed 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to claim her third Grand Slam title.
She won her first at Wimbledon in 2022 and beat Sabalenka in the Australian Open title to claim her second in January.
“It feels amazing,” Rybakina said. “It’s still so difficult to process what happened. Too much achievements these few weeks. I’m super happy, very proud of all the work. It’s just amazing.”
She ended Sabalenka’s 20-match winning streak in Flushing Meadows, where the 2024 and 2025 champion hadn’t lost since falling to Coco Gauff in the 2023 final.
“I wish I could have performed a little better,” Sabalenka told the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd, her voice breaking, “but I guess next year.”
She had been vying to become just the third woman, after Chris Evert and Serena Williams, to win three straight US Open titles.
The 28-year-old from Belarus clawed back courageously in the second set, breaking Rybakina for the first time in the final game to force the third.
But with her trademark aplomb, Rybakina roared back to finish off a frustrated Sabalenka.
With an early break in hand in the third set, Rybakina roared to the finish line. There was a final hiccup with two double faults as she served for the match before she secured the win with an ace.
“I feel like the match was so close,” Rybakina said. “Even first set I got early break. Then it was kind of a little bit easier to step in, to be aggressive.
“Then in the second, we were taking our serve. She just played in these same important moments more aggressive,” Rybakina added, according to AFP.
“I had some little opportunities. Made couple of mistakes. But then in the third set, I told myself that I can still do it. I need to focus on my serve and just risk a little bit more when I have the chance.”
A disappointed Sabalenka exchanged a quick hug with the victor at the net, then smashed her racquet as she sat in her courtside seat as Rybakina absorbed the cheers of the crowd.
“I’m obviously not really happy with the level I played,” Sabalenka said. “But she served incredible. She played really aggressive, great tennis.
“She was simply a better player today than me,” said Sabalenka, who will end the year without a major title for the first time since 2022.
