Elena Rybakina won the US Open women’s final on Saturday, beating Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The result denied Sabalenka a third consecutive US Open title and gave Rybakina her first Flushing Meadows trophy.
The match lasted two hours and twenty-one minutes. Rybakina hit 12 aces to Sabalenka’s six and finished with 36 winners against 24 unforced errors. Sabalenka had 32 winners but committed 35 unforced errors. Rybakina also won the break-point battle 3-1.
How Rybakina Won It
Rybakina took the first set 6-4, with her serve doing most of the early work. Sabalenka responded in the second set, breaking back when it mattered and closing it out 7-5 to level the match.
The third set belonged to Rybakina. She dropped only three points on her own serve across the set and closed out the title with her 12th ace of the match, finishing 6-2.
What the Result Means
This is Rybakina’s third Grand Slam title, following Wimbledon in 2022 and the Australian Open earlier this year. It is her second major of the 2026 season and her first US Open crown.
The win also confirms Rybakina as the new WTA world No. 1. She had already taken the ranking off Sabalenka by reaching the semi-finals in New York, ending Sabalenka’s run of 99 consecutive weeks at the top. Saturday’s final result added the trophy on top of that ranking change.
For Sabalenka, the loss ends her bid to win a third straight US Open after titles in 2024 and 2025. Her winner’s cheque comparison tells its own story: Rybakina’s prize was reported at $5.5 million, said to be the largest in Grand Slam history.
Sabalenka’s Reaction
Sabalenka received a code violation warning after hitting a ball into the stands following the loss. Speaking afterwards, she said: “I’ll just keep working hard and keep improving my tennis.” She framed the season as a whole as a source of improvement rather than dwelling on the single defeat.
Looking Ahead
Rybakina now holds two Grand Slam titles from three finals in 2026, alongside the world No. 1 ranking. The Australian Open and US Open wins bookend a season in which she has taken the top ranking from Sabalenka for the first time in her career.
For Sabalenka, two US Open titles and a 99-week reign at No. 1 is a body of work this single result does not erase. But Saturday’s final was the third Grand Slam final meeting between the two players this year, and the second time Rybakina has come out on top.
TradeOnSports Verdict
The numbers from this final tell a clear story: fewer unforced errors, more winners, more aces, and control of the break points when they mattered. A 5-7 second set suggested a contest that could have gone either way, but the discipline Rybakina showed in the third set, conceding almost nothing on her own serve, was decisive. This was not as close a final as the set score alone suggests.
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