Rybakina dethrones Sabalenka to win first US Open title — SkimNews
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- Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to win her first US Open title on Saturday, punctuating her rise to the top of women's tennis.
- Rybakina earned $5.5 million — the largest single prize in Grand Slam history — for her third major title and second of 2026, both won against Sabalenka on hard courts.
- The victory sends Rybakina to WTA No. 1 on Monday, ending Sabalenka's 99-consecutive-week reign atop the rankings.
- Sabalenka's loss snapped a 19-match US Open winning streak and denied her a third consecutive Flushing Meadows title — a run last achieved by Serena Williams from 2012-14.
- Rybakina now needs only the French Open to complete a career Grand Slam, having won Wimbledon in 2022 and the Australian Open in January.
- Sabalenka leads the rivalry 10-8 and had won their two prior 2026 hard-court meetings at Indian Wells and Miami, but her late-summer form dipped with fourth-round exits in Toronto and Cincinnati.
- Rybakina played through a foot injury that had forced her to stop during the Cincinnati quarterfinal against Iga Swiatek, and she converted only 3 of 12 break points despite winning.
Why it matters: The $5.5 million payday and WTA No. 1 crown complete Rybakina's transformation from a player who had never advanced past the US Open's fourth round, ending Sabalenka's 99-week reign and marking the third time in 2026 Sabalenka has lost to her rival on hard courts after also falling in the Australian Open final.
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