NEW YORK : Elena Rybakina defeated two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4 5-7 6-2 in the U.S. Open final on Saturday to claim her third Grand Slam title and become world number one.
The Russian-born Kazakh ended Sabalenka’s 20-match winning streak at Flushing Meadows and denied the Belarusian the chance to join Serena Williams and Chris Evert as the only women to win three consecutive U.S. Open titles.
Rybakina’s campaign had been threatened by an ankle injury before the tournament, but the 27-year-old overcame those concerns to add the U.S. Open crown to her Australian Open title this year and Wimbledon triumph in 2022.
“It’s tough to find words … I didn’t expect anything like this coming into the tournament,” Rybakina said.
She became only the third woman this century to win both hardcourt Grand Slam titles in the same year, following Sabalenka and Angelique Kerber.
Rybakina collected $5.5 million for the victory and received the trophy from five-times Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova.
“It’s going to be different to wake up the next morning knowing you’ve won the U.S. Open and achieved the world number one ranking,” Rybakina said.
Sabalenka, who also lost to Rybakina in this year’s Australian Open final, was runner-up again in New York.
“I’m disappointed, but I want to congratulate Elena. I wish I could perform a bit better, but I guess next year,” Sabalenka said.
The victory completed Rybakina’s run to her first U.S. Open title and secured her ascent to the top of the women’s world rankings.
The action continues on Sunday when American Ben Shelton takes on top seed Alexander Zverev in the men’s final, with Shelton seeking to end a 23-year wait for a U.S. men’s Grand Slam singles champion.
