Rybakina dethrones Sabalenka for first US Open title, No. 1

A champion emerges from an uncertain start

Elena Rybakina beat two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday, securing her maiden title in New York and third Grand Slam singles crown.aljazeera +1 The 27-year-old, who had been unsure she could compete because of a chronic left ankle problem, finished the final with her 12th ace.espn

The victory completes a striking hard-court double after Rybakina also defeated Sabalenka in January’s Australian Open final. Along with her 2022 Wimbledon championship, it leaves the French Open as the only major missing from her career collection.espn +1

Composure decides a heavyweight contest

Rybakina claimed the first decisive break for a 3-2 lead when Sabalenka double-faulted, then protected the advantage with deep groundstrokes and a steady serve. Sabalenka finally earned her first break points late in the second set and converted to force a decider, but Rybakina responded with an early break in the third and pulled clear.espn +1

The contrast sharpened under pressure. Rybakina kept landing first strikes and closed the match with an ace, while Sabalenka’s frustration spilled into gestures toward her team and a smashed racket after the final point.espn +1 Sabalenka acknowledged afterward that her rival had served superbly and was “simply a better player,” while Rybakina said an injury had made this outcome difficult to imagine when she arrived in New York.espn

A new order at the top of women’s tennis

Rybakina had already guaranteed that she would replace Sabalenka at world No. 1 by reaching the semifinals, but the trophy gives the ranking change a defining image.tennisnow She becomes the first player representing Kazakhstan to win the US Open or lead the WTA rankings, and only the third woman since 2000 to capture the Australian Open and US Open in the same season.tennismajors

For Sabalenka, the loss ended a 20-match winning run at Flushing Meadows and denied her an attempt to join Serena Williams and Chris Evert among the women to win three consecutive New York titles.aljazeera Rybakina has now beaten the reigning No. 1 in both Grand Slam finals they contested this season.espn +1 That reversal offers the clearest measure of the shift: Sabalenka’s long-term record remains formidable, yet Rybakina has repeatedly found the cleaner tennis when their biggest trophies are at stake.