NEW YORK — Elena Rybakina beat two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in Saturday’s U.S. Open women’s final, winning her first Flushing Meadows title, her third Grand Slam, and sealing her rise to world No. 1, the WTA and Associated Press reported Sept. 12, 2026.

The match lasted 2 hours and 21 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Rybakina — born in Russia, representing Kazakhstan — had already locked in the No. 1 ranking for next week by reaching the semifinals, ending Sabalenka’s 99-week streak atop the WTA list one week short of 100 consecutive weeks, AP and the WTA said.

“It’s tough to find the words right now. Honestly, I didn’t expect (anything) like this coming from this tournament,” Rybakina said at the trophy ceremony, per the WTA. “I’ve been dealing a little bit with injury, but somehow everything aligned on my side… I was coming here for the last 10 years, and it was never successful. Nothing close to that, and it’s just incredible. I’m falling in love with New York more and more.”

Saturday’s win bookended her Grand Slam season after she beat Sabalenka in the Australian Open final in January. She is the third player since 2000 to take both the Australian Open and U.S. Open in the same year, joining Angelique Kerber (2016) and Sabalenka (2024), the WTA said. She now needs only Roland Garros for a Career Slam. AP put the winner’s prize at $5.5 million — described as the largest Grand Slam purse on record — with Sabalenka earning $2.8 million.

Rybakina stopped Sabalenka’s 19-match U.S. Open winning streak and blocked a three-peat that would have matched Serena Williams’ 2012–14 Flushing Meadows run. AP said Sabalenka smashed her racket after a brief net hug. “Overall, I should be happy with the level I played,” Sabalenka said afterward, per the WTA. “As experience shows, I only come back stronger… Hopefully I will win some more tournaments.”

Rybakina entered the fortnight after retiring from a Cincinnati quarterfinal against Iga Świątek with a foot injury, then beat Naomi Osaka, Zheng Qinwen, and Coco Gauff en route to the final, the WTA reported. She converted three of 12 break chances against Sabalenka and closed on her 12th ace, the WTA and AP said.

Dated Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026: Rybakina dethrones Sabalenka at the U.S. Open, claims her first New York major, and takes over at No. 1.

Sources