Rybakina defeats Sabalenka to claim the 'America' title

Kazakhstani player Elena Rybakina said that waking up on the morning she would top the WTA rankings for the first time would be “wonderful,” after capturing her first title at the US Open, the final Grand Slam tournament of the year, and her third Grand Slam crown overall.

More than three weeks after fearing that an injury would force her to withdraw from the year’s last Grand Slam, Rybakina defeated Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, the defending champion from the previous two editions, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, to claim the title.

The Kazakhstani had already secured the world No. 1 ranking from Sabalenka by reaching the semifinals.

Rybakina said, “It’s a feeling of relief. You stick to all these routines for two or three weeks. It’s hard work, and there’s a lot of tension as well. I feel that waking up this morning will be wonderful after achieving something big like this.”

She added, “I can’t find the words right now, honestly. I didn’t expect anything like this when I came to this tournament. I was dealing with a somewhat minor injury, but somehow everything went in my favor.”

That “somewhat minor injury” had forced her to withdraw from her quarterfinal match at the Cincinnati Open on August 20, just ten days before the start of the tournament at Flushing Meadows, after she became unable to put weight on her left heel. Rybakina said, “It certainly wasn’t the best timing, because I was very upset. I didn’t know how things would unfold day by day.”

She continued, “We arrived in New York and had an MRI scan. The results weren’t very encouraging. We had to consult with several doctors to get opinions on what should be done.”

With the help of a doctor in Australia who provided valuable remote advice, Rybakina and her team devised a plan to manage her training, rest, and treatment, giving her a chance to compete for her second major title of the year, following her victory over Sabalenka in the Australian Open final.