Elena Rybakina Claims U.S. Open Title, Ends Sabalenka's Reign
Elena Rybakina didn’t just take Aryna Sabalenka’s No. 1 ranking in New York. She walked onto Sabalenka’s court, onto Sabalenka’s stage, and took her trophy too.
On a thick, tense Saturday night at Flushing Meadows, the 27-year-old claimed her first U.S. Open crown with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory, a result that felt less like an upset and more like a coronation completed. The title comes days before she officially replaces Sabalenka at the top of the rankings. Now the numbers match the reality.
A final worthy of No. 1 vs. No. 2
This was only the third U.S. Open women’s final since 2000 to pit the top two seeds against each other. Serena Williams won the previous two, beating Venus Williams in 2002 and Victoria Azarenka in 2013. This time, the No. 2 seed walked away with the trophy.
Rybakina arrived in New York nursing an injury and with modest expectations by her own admission. “It’s tough to find words right now, honestly,” she said on court. “I don’t expect nothing like this coming to this tournament. I’ve been dealing with a little bit with an injury, but somehow everything aligned together on my side."
Aligned is one word for it. Ruthless is another.
She had already beaten Sabalenka in a hard-court major final this year, lifting the Australian Open trophy in Melbourne. On Saturday, she repeated the trick on the biggest hard court in the sport, against an opponent who had turned this tournament into her personal fortress.
Ending a streak, ending an era?
Sabalenka walked into the final riding a 19-match winning streak at the U.S. Open. She had not lost at Flushing Meadows since Coco Gauff stopped her in the 2023 final, and she was chasing history: three straight titles, something no one had managed here since Serena’s run from 2012 to 2014.
For two sets, she looked capable of it. Sabalenka clawed out the second set 7-5, refusing to let the match slip away, leaning again on that violent first strike that has bullied the field for the last two years.
But the pressure finally told.
Early in the third set, Rybakina yanked a backhand wide on break point and let out a flash of frustration. It was a rare crack in her usually impassive exterior. It also turned out to be the last real opening Sabalenka would get.
From there, Rybakina tightened everything. The serve grew heavier, the returns deeper, the rallies shorter and more decisive. She began to dictate with that flat, skidding power that turns defense into attack in a heartbeat. Sabalenka, who had owned their rivalry this season with wins at Indian Wells and Miami and led their head-to-head 10-8 coming in, suddenly found herself reacting instead of imposing.
Once Rybakina seized control of the decider, she never loosened her grip. The 6-2 third set felt like a statement: the baton wasn’t being passed gently; it was being ripped away.
A changing of flags and fortunes
Rybakina’s journey has never followed the most straightforward path. Born in Russia but representing Kazakhstan, she broke through with her first major at Wimbledon in 2022. That title announced her as a future force. This one, on American hard courts, confirms her as the present.
By taking Sabalenka’s U.S. Open crown, she completed a rare double: defeating the same rival in both the Australian Open and U.S. Open finals in the same season, both on hard courts, both on stages Sabalenka had grown accustomed to owning.
Sabalenka, to her credit, did not hide her disappointment yet still embraced the city that has fueled her rise. “I really felt like home here and cannot wait to come back next year,” she said. “I wish I could perform a little bit better, but I guess next year.”
That “next year” now comes with a different backdrop. Sabalenka is no longer the reigning force in New York. Rybakina is.
One trophy away from history
This U.S. Open title gives Rybakina three different majors: Wimbledon, the Australian Open, and now the U.S. Open. Only Roland Garros remains.
A French Open crown would complete the career Grand Slam, a feat that has eluded some of the game’s greats. For a player who insists she “didn’t expect” this kind of run in New York, the target is suddenly clear, and very real.
For now, though, the story belongs to this night and this shift.
Sabalenka’s reign at Flushing Meadows is over. The 19-match streak is gone. The attempt to follow Serena with three straight titles has been halted.
Elena Rybakina stands in her place, trophy in hand, ranking secured, one major short of joining the sport’s most exclusive club.
The question now is simple: how long will she stay on top—and can anyone stop her before Paris comes calling?
