Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina defeated Ariana Sabalenka in the US Open 2026 final, winning the women's singles title. The final, held in New York at Arthur Ashe Stadium on September 12, concluded with Rybakina winning 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. This marked Rybakina's first US Open title in her career, and the match lasted 2 hours and 21 minutes.
The conclusion of the match was marked by a powerful ace from Elena Rybakina at the decisive point, allowing her to achieve another major victory in her career. Thus, this became her third Grand Slam title.
Ariana Sabalenka, who was ranked second in the world, had the opportunity to become the US Open champion for the third consecutive time. She was close to becoming the third woman in open-era history to win three consecutive US Open titles. However, Elena Rybakina did not allow her to realize this dream.
Elena Rybakina had long posed a serious threat to Ariana Sabalenka. Previously, she had beaten Sabalenka at the WTA Finals and at the Australian Open this year. Following these victories, Rybakina also climbed to the number one spot in the rankings. The victory in the US Open final was another serious blow to the Belarusian.
At the start of the final, both athletes successfully defended their serves, but Elena Rybakina constantly put pressure on Ariana Sabalenka. After earning a break point at 2-2, Rybakina managed to gain an advantage of 3-2. After this, she confidently held her serve. Ariana Sabalenka tried to get back into the game, but facing Rybakina's fast serves and precise groundstrokes, she faced constant difficulties. Rybakina won the first set 6-4, holding serve at 5-4 while maintaining composure under pressure.
The second set proved to be the most tense. Ariana Sabalenka demonstrated impressive recovery. Despite Elena Rybakina creating many moments of pressure, Sabalenka successfully saved key break points and gradually regained her rhythm. After the score reached 4-4, the match became extremely exciting. Rybakina saved two break points at 4-5, leveling the score at 5-5. Then Sabalenka held her serve, taking the advantage 6-5. When Rybakina served to save her set, Sabalenka capitalized on her errors. After a double fault and a forehand miss, Sabalenka won the set 7-5, sending the match into a deciding set.
At the beginning of the third set, Ariana Sabalenka attempted to relieve the pressure by winning a long service game, but Elena Rybakina continued to play aggressively. After the score reached 2-1, she managed to take a break and then solidify her advantage by holding serve. Sabalenka brought the score to 2-3, but Rybakina did not give her a big chance to come back. At 4-2, she took another break, completely taking control of the match.
At 5-2, Elena Rybakina came to serve for the title. Despite some errors, she maintained her composure and finished the match. Immediately after the match ended, Elena Rybakina emotionally celebrated the victory, dropping her racket and raising both hands. For her part, Ariana Sabalenka looked extremely disappointed with the loss and angrily broke her racket.
