Elena Rybakina defeated two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka leading her to win the 2026 US Open women's singles title, beating the Belarusian player 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, in the final at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York on Saturday.
Rybakina broke Sabalenka once to win the first set 6-4. But after squandering two set points, Sabalenka broke Rybakina to win the second set 7-5. Rybakina saved her best for the final set, breaking Sabalenka twice to clinch it 6-2. It is Rybakina's third Grand Slam title overall, and first US Open crown, NDTV reported.
She is set to become the World No. 1 after the tournament, making her the first player representing Kazakhstan to reach the top of the WTA rankings.
Added to history ✍️ pic.twitter.com/ccyOSc2OCs
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 13, 2026
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The victory represented Rybakina's first US Open Championship and her third Grand Slam singles title. Her previous major victories came at Wimbledon in 2022 and the Australian Open in 2026. The Australian Open victory also came against Sabalenka.
After the victory, Rybakina acknowledged how surreal it was to process this achievement. She stated that, "It's gonna be very different to wake up next morning knowing that you just won US Open, achieved the number one ranking."
Elena Rybakina is ready to wake up the World No. 1 and as a US Open champion. pic.twitter.com/F7Q1KZ30gI
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 13, 2026
Sabalenka's Three-Peat Bid Ends
Sabalenka entered the final attempting to accomplish something extremely rare, which was to win the US Open women's singles title three years in a row. She had won the tournament in 2024 and 2025. A consecutive third championship would have made her the first woman to achieve a US Open singles three-peat since Serena Williams (2012-2014). The official US Open site noted that Chris Evert and Serena Williams are the only women in the Open Era to have previously won at least three consecutive US Open women's singles title.
Sabalenka's Reaction
Sabalenka was visibly frustrated during the match. Reuters reported that her emotions became increasingly difficult to control as the final progressed and she smashed the racket after the match.
According to reports, Sabalenka acknowledged that the pressure associated with trying to complete a three-peat had affected her emotionally. Despite the defeat, she finished as runner-up and received $2.8 million in prize money.
Raybakina's Journey
Rybakina entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed, behind Sabalenka. Before the final, she defeated Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, in the semifinals, while Sabalenka reached the final by beating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2. The official US Open statistics highlighted that all four top women's seeds reached the semifinals for the first time at the tournament since 1975, with the top two - Rybakina and Sabalenka - ultimately contesting the final.
Rybakina's victory was particularly notable because she had been dealing with an Achilles / ankle injury heading into the tournament, Reuters reported. Despite those concerns, she progressed through the draw and eventually won the biggest title of her career.
Prize Money
Rybakina's US Open victory reportedly earned her $5.5 million. The WTA (Women's Tennis Association) had announced the prize money figures ahead of the final.
AP News described Rybakina's $5.5 million winner's cheque as the largest prize in Grand Slam history.
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