Elena Rybakina knocks off Aryna Sabalenka for first US Open title

Kyle Wagner, New York Daily News on Sep 12, 2026

Published in Tennis

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NEW YORK — Elena Rybakina came into the US Open with a good chance of leaving the tournament on a positive note — and seizing such joy from No. 1-seeded Aryna Sabalenka.

Ranked No. 2 in live rankings entering the final major of the final, a semifinal berth guaranteed Rybakina the top ranking in the WTA Tour. She grabbed that spot after a quarterfinals win over Qinwen Zheng.

Rybakina proved she wasn’t done just yet after facing off against the Belarusian in the Open final at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Not only did Rybakina take Sabalenka’s top spot, she denied her a chance to three-peat at the US Open following a three-set victory on Saturday.

Rybakina — who used a service ace before double faulting on championship point No. 1 to secure the match — celebrated with her hands raised immediately after a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 win to capture her second major title of the year.

The first came at the top of the year with a defeat of Sabalenka at the Australian Open. Now, Rybakina took down Sabalenka for a title eight months later.

Rybakina proved she truly deserved the No. 1 spot with a win over the now former WTA crown holder Sabalenka, who owned it for 99 weeks — a win sweeter than a glass of honey deuce.