Elena Rybakina Wins US Open and Claims World No. 1 Ranking

Elena Rybakina produced a remarkable night in New York, winning her first US Open title and taking over the world No. 1 ranking at the same time. The Kazakh star defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the final, ending the reigning champion’s dominance in the tournament.

Rybakina, the second seed, beat two-time defending champion Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in Saturday night’s US Open final. Regardless of the result, Rybakina had already secured the No. 1 ranking ahead of the championship match.

The victory marks the third Grand Slam title of Rybakina’s career and her second major of the season. Earlier this year, she defeated Sabalenka in the Australian Open final as well.

Sabalenka’s 19-Match Winning Run Ends

Rybakina also ended Sabalenka’s remarkable run at the US Open. The Belarusian had not lost at Flushing Meadows since her defeat to Coco Gauff in the 2023 final.

After winning the last two editions, Sabalenka was aiming to become only the second woman after Serena Williams to win three consecutive US Open titles.

That opportunity disappeared in the final against Rybakina.

The four-time Grand Slam champion struggled to hide her disappointment during the trophy ceremony.

“I would have felt better if I had played a little better. But I guess, next year,” Sabalenka said through tears.

From Injury Doubts to US Open Champion

Rybakina’s triumph is even more remarkable because her participation in New York had been uncertain.

Before this year, her best US Open result was a fourth-round appearance. She then suffered an injury during the Cincinnati Open quarterfinals and reportedly struggled to walk for several days.

There were genuine doubts over whether she would be fit enough to compete in New York.

Instead, the 27-year-old arrived at the US Open and went all the way to the title.

Three Grand Slam Titles and One Major Away From a Career Slam

Rybakina won her first Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2022. She then added the Australian Open title earlier this year before completing a memorable US Open triumph.

She now has three Grand Slam titles to her name.

A French Open title is the only missing piece if Rybakina is to complete a career Grand Slam.

Despite the magnitude of her achievement, the new world No. 1 admitted that it still felt difficult to process.

“I still don’t really understand what happened. I’ve achieved a lot over the past few weeks,” Rybakina said.

Sabalenka Fights Back but Rybakina Takes Control

Rybakina made the stronger start, taking the opening set 6-4. Sabalenka responded in the second set, fighting back to win it 7-5 and force a deciding set.

However, she could not maintain that momentum in the third.

After Rybakina took a crucial break to move 2-1 ahead, she seized control of the match. The Kazakh star dominated the remainder of the set and closed out the final 6-2.

Rybakina arrived in New York as the world No. 2. She leaves with the US Open trophy and the No. 1 ranking—turning an injury-clouded build-up into one of the biggest victories of her career.