Elena Rybakina beats Sabalenka to win US Open, becomes world number one

Women's tennis got a new champion on Saturday at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. Kazakhstan's 27 year old star Elena Rybakina beat two time champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in a hard fought women's singles final to win her first US Open title.

The win brought Rybakina double joy. On reaching the semifinal, she had already overtaken Sabalenka to take the top spot in the world rankings. With the final win, she also ended Sabalenka's two year dominance at Arthur Ashe Stadium and her run of 19 consecutive wins there.

The 27 year old Rybakina was born in Russia but chose to represent Kazakhstan from 2018. This is the third Grand Slam title of her career, after Wimbledon 2022 and the Australian Open 2026. Having now won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, Rybakina is just one step away from completing a career Grand Slam, needing only the French Open. She is known on the WTA Tour for her powerful serve and her composure under pressure, and that composure proved decisive against Sabalenka.

The final was a thrilling contest. In the first set, Rybakina capitalised on a double fault from Sabalenka to win it 6-4. Sabalenka then fought back to take the second set 7-5. But in the decisive third set, Rybakina's powerful returns and groundstrokes helped her beat Sabalenka 6-2.

After the match, Rybakina said, "Honestly, I don't have the words. Coming into this tournament I did not expect this, because I was struggling with a small injury. But things gradually got better."

Sabalenka, who missed out on a third straight US Open title, admitted that Rybakina's powerful serve and calm temperament made her difficult to beat on the fast court. Rybakina is now officially the world's number one women's tennis player.