Rybakina Defeats Sabalenka to Win US Open Tennis Title for the First Time

Kazakh star Elena Rybakina claimed the women’s singles title at the US Open tennis championships at Flushing Meadows, the final of the four Grand Slam tournaments this season, after defeating Belarusian star Aryna Sabalenka in the final on Saturday evening local time.

On Arthur Ashe Court in New York City, USA, Rybakina defeated Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the final to win the hard-court title for the first time in her career, marking her third Grand Slam title.

Rybakina had previously won the Wimbledon Championships in 2022, after defeating Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in the grass-court final, before capturing the Australian Open title earlier this year by beating Sabalenka.

This was the third meeting between the two players in Grand Slam finals. Sabalenka had beaten Rybakina in the 2023 Australian Open final, before the Kazakh player avenged that loss by defeating her Belarusian rival in the final of the same tournament earlier this year.

Rybakina had already secured the world No. 1 ranking in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings from Sabalenka, with the new rankings to be released on Monday. However, she added the US Open title to her achievements, a trophy Sabalenka had won in the previous two years.

In this match, Rybakina ended Sabalenka’s 19-match winning streak at Flushing Meadows. Sabalenka had not suffered a defeat at the tournament since losing to American Coco Gauff in the 2023 final.

Rybakina received a prize of $5.5 million, the largest in Grand Slam history, according to the Associated Press news agency. She also equaled the number of titles won this season by Sabalenka and Russian player Mirra Andreeva (the French Open champion), with three titles each, the highest tally in the sport this year.

Sabalenka, meanwhile, received $2.8 million, but it was clear the amount meant little to her, as she smashed her racket after a brief hug with Rybakina at the net.

Sabalenka had aimed to become the first player to win the Flushing Meadows title three times in a row since veteran American Serena Williams achieved that feat between 2012 and 2014.

Rybakina managed to take the title from the defending champion despite not being at her peak. Although the WTA No. 1, known for her powerful serving, succeeded in getting less than half of her first serves in, she kept Sabalenka under constant pressure with strong return play. Rybakina had 12 break-point opportunities and converted three, which was enough to secure the match in her favor.