US Open Final: Rybakina Outlasts Sabalenka To Take Title And Top Spot

Rybakina beats Sabalenka to win US Open and claim World No.1  

Elena Rybakina Storms to US Open title as Sabalenka's 20-Match Run Ends. Rybakina joins Graf with two wins over World No.1 In Slam finals. 

Rybakina ends Sabalenka's US Open three-peat bid in final thriller...

Elena Rybakina stopped Aryna Sabalenka’s bid for a third straight US Open title on Saturday, sealing a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 win that also crowns her the new world No.1.  

The Kazakh was already guaranteed to replace Sabalenka at the top of the rankings after making the semi-finals. She backed it up with a third Grand Slam title, adding to her 2022 Wimbledon win and this year’s Australian Open.  

Rybakina became only the second woman ever to beat the world No.1 in two Grand Slam finals in the same year. Steffi Graf was the first, doing it in 1995.  

Sabalenka had won 20 straight matches at Flushing Meadows, and she fought back in the second. She broke Rybakina in the final game of the set to level the match at one set all.  

TOP OF THE WORLD 🌎

Elena Rybakina defeats Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to claim her first US Open title! pic.twitter.com/7XA520vTei

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 12, 2026

True to form, Rybakina hit back. She dominated the third set while a visibly upset Sabalenka slammed her racket down, as applause rang out for Rybakina.

The loss means 28-year-old Sabalenka ends the year without a major, her first Slam-less season since 2022.