“You just saw a remarkable match,” said trophy presentation emcee Mary Carillo, after Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open final. “This is the best rivalry in women’s tennis.”
There was no doubting that after Rybakina and Sabalenka went toe-to-toe for two hours and 21 minutes on Saturday at Arthur Ashe Stadium, their third Grand Slam final – all of which have extended to three sets.
But what’s becoming apparent is that Rybakina is getting the upper hand against her rival on the biggest stages.
This was their seventh meeting in a final and Rybakina has now won five of them.
And just as she did in the Australian Open 2026 final, where she recovered from losing the second set to outplay Sabalenka down the home stretch, Rybakina completed a 6-4 5-7 6-2 triumph in New York to secure her second Slam trophy of the season, and third overall.
It was the perfect ending to a fortnight during which she also ensured her rise to world No.1 for the first time.
“Too much achievements these few weeks,” said Rybakina, who ends Sabalenka’s 99-week stint at the summit on Monday.
“It's going to be very different to wake up next morning knowing that you won just US Open, achieved No.1 ranking, and it's kind of relief, because you do all the routines for the past two, three weeks. It's a lot of work, a lot of nerves also.
“I feel that it's going to be amazing to wake up knowing that you achieved such big things.”
Against the more volatile Sabalenka, whose level fluctuated and emotions surged, Rybakina was imperious.
This was a masterful Grand Slam final performance, during which she only dropped six points on her first serve for the entire match. She sent down 12 aces and hit four more winners than Sabalenka, yet committed 11 less unforced errors. She finished with an impressive +12 differential in her own winners to unforced errors.
Her third-set stats were exceptional; Rybakina won 100 per cent of her first-serve points, didn’t allow Sabalenka a single break point – while generating five of her own – and struck 15 winners to only six unforced errors.
Throughout the match she also won 10 of her 13 trips to the net, volleying a winner to break Sabalenka for a 5-2 lead.
Just as she did in Australia, she sealed victory with an ace.
“Her serve is amazing, the way she’s able to step in and overpower you on court, and especially if it's a US Open court where it's super fast, definitely huge advantage for her,” Sabalenka said.
“I'm obviously not really happy with the level I played today, but she served incredible. She played really aggressive, great tennis.
“She was simply a better player today than me.”
This was a remarkable performance from the Kazakhstani considering that her US Open participation was in doubt after a nasty ankle injury sustained in the Cincinnati quarterfinals leading in.
Yet she rested and rehabilitated diligently, practiced as much as her body would allow, and eased through her first three rounds without dropping a set.
In her final four matches she beat Naomi Osaka, Zheng Qinwen, Coco Gauff and Sabalenka – a quartet with 10 Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal between them.
Her triumph cements her as the leading player in women’s tennis, given she holds two of the sport’s four major titles – becoming only the sixth woman to scoop both hardcourt Slams in one season – plus the WTA Finals title.
AO AND US CHAMPIONS IN SAME SEASON (SINCE 1988)
| Steffi Graf | 1988, 1989 |
| Monica Seles | 1991, 1992 |
| Martina Hingis | 1997 |
| Angelique Kerber | 2016 |
| Aryna Sabalenka | 2024 |
| Elena Rybakina | 2026 |
* Dating back to when the AO became a hardcourt major
She is also now three-quarters of the way to a career Grand Slam. With the Wimbledon, Australian Open and US Open trophies in her collection, she’ll target the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen at Roland Garros next June.
Interestingly, she was presented with her trophy in New York by Maria Sharapova – the last woman to complete the career Grand Slam
“I’m just super happy,” Rybakina told ESPN.
“The consistency I found is great, but I know that in women’s tennis, and just in tennis, everything changes so quick.
“I’m super happy with the achievements, but I will try of course to push more and stay at the top as long as possible.”