Elena Rybakina has claimed her first US Open crown on Saturday, defeating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in a gripping three-set final at Flushing Meadows.
The victory marks the Kazakhstani’s third Grand Slam title, adding to her Wimbledon crown from 2022 and this year’s Australian Open triumph. It also confirms her ascent to world number one, a spot she takes over from Sabalenka following the result.
Speaking after the match, Rybakina reflected on how long the achievement had eluded her in New York, having never previously advanced past the fourth round at the tournament. She said she had been returning to the event for a decade without success, but that she was increasingly warming to the city.
The 27-year-old also opened up about the physical scare that nearly kept her out of the tournament entirely. An ankle injury sustained during the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals left her unable to walk for several days beforehand, casting real doubt over her participation.
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Despite that setback, she cruised through her first four rounds on the strength of her serve before needing three sets to get past Zheng Qinwen and home favorite Coco Gauff in the quarter-final and semi-final rounds.
Describing her run as something close to fate, Rybakina said she felt lucky given the injury scare and had simply been taking each day as it came. She added that she and her team had no real expectations heading in, making the outcome feel even sweeter.
In the final itself, Rybakina’s composure proved decisive. She weathered an inconsistent first-serve day to control rallies with her return game, dropped a tight second set as Sabalenka’s groundstrokes improved, then reasserted herself in the decider, breaking early for a 2-1 lead before sealing the title with an ace on her second championship point.
The win leaves Rybakina one title short of the career Grand Slam, with only the French Open missing from her collection. It is her second major of the season, following her Australian Open success, and cements 2026 as the finest year of her career so far.
