Elena Rybakina has completed a breakthrough fortnight on the New York hard courts, defeating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open final to claim the trophy shortly after rising to World No. 1 for the first time.
Rybakina takes the New York crown
The women’s singles draw finished with a new champion and a new leader of the rankings. Rybakina ended Sabalenka’s title run at Flushing Meadows after the Belarusian had reached a fourth consecutive US Open final and carried a 20-match winning streak at the tournament into the championship match.
Sabalenka’s route to the final had also delivered a landmark: she became the first woman of the Open Era to reach eight consecutive Grand Slam finals on hard courts. But Rybakina, contesting her first US Open final, denied her a third straight New York title.
How the finalists came through the draw
- Rybakina fought back from a set down against Zheng Qinwen in the quarterfinals, reaching the fifth Grand Slam semifinal of her career. That victory also confirmed her move to the top of the WTA rankings.
- Sabalenka survived a major quarterfinal test from Linda Noskova, recovering after falling 4-2 behind in the deciding set and taking the match in a third-set tiebreak. The win put her into a sixth successive US Open semifinal.
- Coco Gauff returned to the US Open quarterfinal stage for the first time in three years with a straight-sets win over Iva Jovic. The World No. 3 described herself as accustomed to competing in high-pressure major situations as she prepared for her 12th Grand Slam quarterfinal.
- Gauff then saved two match points against Mirra Andreeva, overturning a set deficit for a 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2 victory. It extended her unbeaten head-to-head record against Andreeva to 6-0 and sent her into her second US Open semifinal.
- Jessica Pegula recovered from a service break down in the third set against Emma Navarro, overcoming an uneven serving day to reach a third straight US Open semifinal. She remained unbeaten against Navarro and advanced to her fourth major semifinal overall.
- In the semifinals, Rybakina defeated Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday night, rallying from the opening-set loss to book her first appearance in the US Open title match.
- Sabalenka again got the better of Pegula in New York, beating the American at the tournament for the third consecutive year to secure her place opposite Rybakina in the final.
- Rybakina then beat Sabalenka to lift the US Open trophy and bring the champion’s reign to an end.
Championship week also delivers junior and doubles milestones
Sun Xinran won the US Open junior singles title, while the Penickova sisters collected the girls’ doubles crown.
In the women’s doubles draw, Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend completed the career Grand Slam as a team after a comeback victory in the US Open final.
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Elena Rybakina beats Aryna Sabalenka to win US Open title
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New World No. 1 Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka to win the US Open, after a hard-court draw featuring deep runs from Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula.
