Against the odds: Rybakina's unexpected US Open title — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Elena Rybakina won the US Open with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Aryna Sabalenka, capping a run in which she defeated three former champions and sealing her third major after 2022 Wimbledon and the 2026 Australian Open.
- Rybakina ascended to world No. 1 with a 2,000-plus point lead, becoming the first player to clinch her spot in the year-end WTA Finals and the sixth woman to win both hard-court Slams in the same year.
- Rybakina did not touch her racket for seven days before the tournament due to a chronic left ankle injury that forced her to withdraw from the Cincinnati quarterfinals against Iga Swiatek; she had called the first days 'painful to even walk.'
- Rybakina is now one French Open title away from completing the career Grand Slam and will enter 2027 defending two major titles.
- Coach Stefano Vukov was in Rybakina's player box throughout the event despite ongoing scrutiny — the WTA had suspended him for most of 2025 for a breach of conduct over accusations he verbally abused Rybakina and 'cultivated a relationship of dependence.'
- Sabalenka, denied a three-peat after holding No. 1 for 99 weeks, conceded Rybakina 'served incredible' and jokingly challenged her to surpass that streak.
Why it matters: Rybakina's 2,000-point lead atop the rankings locks in year-end No. 1 contention and makes her the presumptive favorite entering 2027, where she defends two majors and needs only a French Open title to complete the career Grand Slam. The Vukov presence — and Rybakina thanking him — keeps the WTA's coach-conduct standards under scrutiny even as her on-court results silence doubters.
Ask SkimNews
