Rybakina Claims US Open Title and World No. 1 Ranking

Three Sets, Three Grand Slams: Rybakina Reigns in New York

Elena Rybakina is the 2026 US Open champion. The 27-year-old from Kazakhstan defeated two-time defending title-holder Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 on Saturday evening at Arthur Ashe Stadium to claim her first title at Flushing Meadows and the third Grand Slam trophy of her career. With the victory sealed, Rybakina will officially hold the world No. 1 ranking from Monday's update — the ranking she has chased all season now confirmed on the biggest stage.

The opening set belonged almost entirely to Rybakina. She did not commit a single unforced error through her first five games, constructed a 4-2 lead — aided by a Sabalenka double fault and a subsequent code violation for the Belarusian — and closed out the opening frame with the serve-driven precision that has defined her 2026 campaign. Six winners, zero unforced errors in the early going: a clinical statement of intent from a player who has thrived under the pressure of major finals throughout her career.

A Match That Swung, Then Settled

The second set told a more turbulent story. Sabalenka refused to accept her fate. The Belarusian rallied from behind, found her range on the baseline and edged a tense second set 7-5 to level the match. For a moment, the prospect of a third consecutive US Open title for Sabalenka felt alive; the Arthur Ashe crowd surged with the uncertainty of it. A player who had built an extraordinary unbeaten run at Flushing Meadows across multiple seasons was not going to surrender without a fight.

Rybakina did not change her approach. The third set was a masterclass in composure under pressure. She broke early, dictated rallies and closed out a 6-2 scoreline that left no room for debate. When the final point landed, Rybakina dropped to her knees — the new champion of the US Open, collecting a $5.5 million winner's cheque and a trophy that had eluded her in two previous semi-final appearances at the tournament.

Historical Weight Behind the Numbers

Rybakina's career Grand Slam record now reads: Wimbledon 2022, Australian Open 2026, US Open 2026 — three titles at three different major venues. She is only the third player since 2000 to win both the Australian Open and US Open in the same calendar year, a list previously limited to Angelique Kerber in 2016 and Sabalenka herself. She is also the first player to defeat the reigning women's champion in a US Open final since Serena Williams accomplished the feat in 2002.

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Despite trailing 8-10 in career head-to-head meetings against Sabalenka, Rybakina now leads 5-2 when the pair have contested finals. In Grand Slam championship matches specifically, the tally reads two wins for Rybakina, one for Sabalenka — a sharp inversion of the broader rivalry ledger that underscores how the Kazakh performs when the stakes are highest.

Zverev and Shelton Complete the Fortnight

Attention at Flushing Meadows now shifts to the men's final, taking place later today (Sunday, 13 September) at 2 p.m. ET. Alexander Zverev, who won Roland Garros in June, faces American first-time Grand Slam finalist Ben Shelton. Shelton is the first African American man to reach the US Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972 and is bidding to become the first American man to win a major since Andy Roddick in 2003. Zverev leads their head-to-head 5-0; none of those meetings came at a Grand Slam. Both finalists are playing the match of their lives. For Rybakina, the throne already belongs to her.