Elena Rybakina captured her first U.S. Open title and cemented her ascent to the top of women’s tennis by defeating defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 on Saturday. Rybakina had already been assured of taking over the No. 1 ranking from Sabalenka the following week, and she punctuated that milestone by ending Sabalenka’s two-year reign at Flushing Meadows. It marked Rybakina’s third Grand Slam title overall and her second of the season, following her victory over Sabalenka at the Australian Open. Rybakina halted Sabalenka’s 19-match winning streak at the tournament, where Sabalenka had not lost since the 2023 final. For her efforts, Rybakina earned a record $5.5 million prize, while Sabalenka collected $2.8 million as the runner-up. Despite landing fewer than half of her first serves, Rybakina applied relentless pressure on Sabalenka’s return game, converting three of 12 break opportunities. The match marked only the third time since 2000 that the top two seeds met in the U.S. Open women’s final, and the first time the challenger emerged victorious. Sabalenka, who had held the top ranking for 99 consecutive weeks, fought hard in the second set to level the match but ultimately fell short as Rybakina dominated the decider. Rybakina, who represents Kazakhstan, overcame a recent foot injury that had forced her to retire in Cincinnati, transforming a venue that had historically given her trouble into the site of her latest major triumph.
Source: cbsnews.com
