Elena Rybakina walked into New York chasing a milestone. She left it a US Open champion.
On a charged Saturday in New York, the Kazakh star claimed her first title at Flushing Meadows, outlasting top seed and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6–4, 5–7, 6–2 in a bruising women’s singles final that swung sharply before Rybakina seized control.
Fast start, early statement
Rybakina set the tone in the opening set. Her serve, as so often, was the anchor. She held firm under Sabalenka’s early power and struck when the chance appeared, edging the first set 6–4. The defending champion was forced onto the back foot, chasing the scoreboard and the rhythm of the rallies.
Sabalenka, the world’s top seed and last year’s winner, found herself under pressure but not broken in spirit. She dug in, stretched points, and began to land heavier returns. The contest tightened.
Sabalenka bites back
The second set turned into a test of nerve. Games lengthened, rallies grew more physical, and Sabalenka refused to let the title slip without a fight. She clawed her way into control, matching Rybakina’s serving power with raw aggression from the baseline.
The pressure finally told on the Kazakh. Sabalenka broke at a crucial moment and squeezed out the set 7–5, levelling the match at one set all and dragging the final into a deciding third. The reigning champion had life again, the momentum seemingly shifting her way.
Decider belongs to Rybakina
Just when Sabalenka appeared to be surging, Rybakina reset. The third set was a statement. She tightened her game, cut out the loose errors, and turned defence into attack with icy composure.
Rybakina raced through the decider 6–2, allowing Sabalenka only two games as she shut the door on any late comeback. The weight of her serve and the clarity of her shot-making returned at exactly the right time, and with it came the title.
When the final point was done, the numbers were simple: 6–4, 5–7, 6–2. Two sets to one. A first US Open crown for Elena Rybakina, earned against the top seed and the very player who had ruled this tournament a year earlier.
A new name is etched into the New York honour roll. The question now is how many more times it will appear.
