Elena Rybakina defeats Aryna Sabalenka for US Open glory
Elena Rybakina officially ended Aryna Sabalenka’s formidable two-year grip on the Flushing Meadows courts on Saturday. Showcasing remarkable composure at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the second-seeded Kazakhstani secured her maiden US Open singles championship with a hard-fought 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory over the two-time defending champion. This monumental win guarantees her elevation to the pinnacle of women’s tennis, unseating Sabalenka who maintained the world number one ranking for a staggering 99 consecutive weeks. Historically, dominant rivalries elevate the sport of tennis, and this fierce clash marked the first time since 2013—when Serena Williams defeated Victoria Azarenka—that the top two seeds collided in a New York women's final. Sabalenka had previously won at Indian Wells and Miami earlier this season, though Rybakina triumphed at the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh and the 2026 Australian Open. Despite this latest loss, the Belarusian still retains a 10-7 advantage in their overall head-to-head matchups.
Opening Salvos and second set exhilaration
Both athletes unleashed fiery baseline groundstrokes from the very first game. Rybakina broke early to seize a 3-2 lead, maintaining steady consistency before converting her second set point to secure the opener 6-4. Refusing to yield her crown easily, Sabalenka dramatically increased the intensity during the subsequent set. She fiercely defended three crucial break points at 5-5 and successfully capitalized on her own break opportunity to capture the set 7-5, perfectly balancing the contest.
Rybakina rapidly recalibrated her strategy in the deciding set, breaking early for a 2-1 edge by relying on patient, extended baseline exchanges. She repeatedly turned unforced errors from Sabalenka into valuable points, extending her lead to 4-2 following a spectacular net volley. Although she nervously double-faulted on her initial championship point at 5-2, Rybakina immediately answered with a fierce ace to decisively clinch the match. This triumph adds a third Grand Slam to her impressive resume, complementing her 2022 Wimbledon and 2026 Australian Open victories, while simultaneously preventing Sabalenka from becoming the first woman since Serena Williams to capture three successive US Open singles titles.
With Inputs from Agency Threads and Image Courtesy: ANI
