Rybakina Wins 2026 US Open, Ends Sabalenka’s Reign at No. 1

Elena Rybakina completed a landmark hard-court season by defeating Aryna Sabalenka 6–4, 5–7, 6–2 in 2 hours, 21 minutes in the 2026 US Open women’s singles final at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The victory earned Rybakina her first US Open championship, her third major title overall and her second of the year. It also stopped Sabalenka’s attempt to win a third consecutive US Open. 21

A major title that confirmed a ranking change

Rybakina had already secured the No. 1 position during the tournament, ending Sabalenka’s 99-week stay at the top of the PIF WTA Rankings. She became the 30th player to reach world No. 1 in the WTA rankings. 2021

Winning the final did not determine the ranking switch, but it made the transition emphatic: the incoming No. 1 beat the outgoing No. 1 on the sport’s biggest hard-court stage. Rybakina’s US Open win was also Kazakhstan’s third Grand Slam singles title. 21

How the final swung Rybakina’s way

Rybakina took the opening set 6–4, then Sabalenka responded to level the match 7–5 in the second. In the decider, Rybakina regained control and won 6–2, denying the two-time defending champion the three-peat she had pursued in New York. 2123

The three-set result capped a run in which Rybakina repeatedly recovered after losing the first set. In the quarterfinals, she beat qualifier Zheng Qinwen 3–6, 6–1, 6–4 to reach her first US Open semifinal and secure the top ranking. 20 She then came back from a set down against Coco Gauff, winning 3–6, 6–4, 6–4 to reach the final. 17

The Sabalenka-Rybakina rivalry gained a new dimension

The US Open was the third Grand Slam final between the pair. Sabalenka won their first major-title meeting at the 2023 Australian Open, while Rybakina prevailed in the 2026 Australian Open final. Before the New York final, Sabalenka led their career head-to-head 10–7. 1318

Rybakina’s US Open victory improved her record against Sabalenka to 8–10 and gave her wins in both of their 2026 Grand Slam finals. 21 That does not erase Sabalenka’s overall edge, but it changes the immediate context of their rivalry: Rybakina claimed the season’s first and last majors on hard courts against the player she replaced at No. 1.

What Sabalenka’s New York run represented

Sabalenka arrived as the two-time defending champion and reached a fourth consecutive US Open final by defeating Jessica Pegula 7–5, 6–2 in the semifinals. 22 Her path included a demanding quarterfinal against Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, whom she edged 7–6(1), 3–6, 7–6(7) after trailing by a break in the final set. 24

Those results underlined the difficulty of preventing Sabalenka from reaching the closing stages in New York. But in the final, Rybakina delivered the decisive performance, converting a season-long rise into the trophy and the world No. 1 ranking. 21