Elena Rybakina completed a commanding hard-court Grand Slam double on Arthur Ashe Stadium, beating Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in 2 hours and 21 minutes to win the 2026 US Open and confirm her rise to World No. 1.
Elena Rybakina wins 2026 US Open title and reaches World No. 1
Rybakina stopped Sabalenka’s bid for a third consecutive US Open crown, adding the New York trophy to her Australian Open title from January. It is the Kazakh’s third major singles championship, leaving Roland Garros as the only title missing from a Career Grand Slam collection.
The victory also ended Sabalenka’s 99-week stay atop the rankings. Rybakina becomes just the third player this century to capture both the Australian Open and US Open in one season, after Angelique Kerber in 2016 and Sabalenka in 2024.
Her New York run delivered her third tournament title of 2026 and the 14th of her career.
“It is hard to put it into words,” Rybakina said during the trophy ceremony. “I really did not expect this kind of result coming into the tournament.
“I had been dealing with an injury, but everything came together for me. I had come here for the last 10 years without anything close to this. It is incredible, and I am loving New York more and more.”
The match
Rybakina made the quicker start in the final, breaking for a 3-2 advantage in the opening set. Her first-serve percentage was only 27%, but the weight and accuracy of her groundstrokes kept Sabalenka under sustained pressure as she closed out the set 6-4.
The second set turned on missed opportunities. Rybakina raised her first-serve rate to 61% and created two break points, but could not convert either. She then saved two set points while serving at 4-5, only for Sabalenka to strike again late in the set and level the final at one set apiece with a 7-5 finish.
In the decider, the new No. 1 immediately reclaimed control. Rybakina broke for 2-1, then produced a volley winner to earn a second break and move ahead 5-2. She completed the title run with her 12th ace, echoing the ace that ended her Australian Open final victory over Sabalenka eight months earlier.
The result moved Rybakina to 8-10 against Sabalenka on the WTA Tour. Her last three wins in the rivalry have all come in championship matches: the 2025 WTA Finals, the 2026 Australian Open and now the US Open.
Rybakina arrived in New York with fitness questions after retiring from her Cincinnati quarterfinal against Iga Swiatek. Instead, she produced one of the strongest runs of her career. She reached the quarterfinals without dropping a set, beat 13th seed Naomi Osaka in the fourth round, and recovered from a set down against both Zheng Qinwen and fourth seed Coco Gauff before overcoming Sabalenka in the final.
“It will be very different waking up tomorrow knowing I won the US Open and became No. 1,” Rybakina said afterwards. “There has been so much routine, work and nerves over the past two or three weeks. It will be amazing to wake up knowing I achieved something so big.”
Rybakina is the first player to defeat the reigning women’s singles champion in a US Open final since Serena Williams beat Venus Williams in 2002. She is also the first player to beat the World No. 1 in the US Open final since Serena Williams defeated Victoria Azarenka in 2012.
For Sabalenka, the loss meant she finished a Grand Slam season without a major title for the first time since 2022. She also fell one week short of reaching 100 straight weeks at No. 1.
“I should still be pleased with the level I showed and with what I can take from this tournament,” Sabalenka said. “Experience has shown that I come back stronger. The lessons from this season have already made me stronger, and this will give me motivation to do better next year.
“There is always a target on your back when you go on court, whatever your ranking is. I will keep working, improving my tennis and my level, and hopefully win more tournaments.”
SEO title: Elena Rybakina beats Aryna Sabalenka to win 2026 US Open
SEO description: Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the US Open final to claim her third major title and become World No. 1.
