09/13/26 11:03:00
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09/13 11:02 CDT Elena Rybakina's US Open title run puts her on top of women's
tennis and Sabalenka has work to do
Elena Rybakina's US Open title run puts her on top of women's tennis and
Sabalenka has work to do
By BRIAN MAHONEY
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --- Elena Rybakina was going to see her name on top of the
women's tennis rankings Monday no matter what happened in the U.S. Open final.
Still, it wouldn't have felt quite the same to pass Aryna Sabalenka and become
No. 1 in a tournament where Sabalenka then beat Rybakina to defend her title.
It would not only have been confusing to casual fans, but a letdown to the
player.
Nothing to worry about there. Rybakina was too good for Sabalenka and anyone
else in the sport right now, so her 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory Sunday triggered a
dual celebration.
"I feel that it's going to be amazing to wake up knowing that you achieved such
big things," Rybakina said.
There could be more to come. The 27-year-old who was born in Russia but
represents Kazakhstan is on top of her game, with two Grand Slam titles in
2026. She beat Sabalenka in both finals, and even the former No. 1 concedes it
would be tough to get back to the top if Rybakina stays at the level she
displayed in Flushing Meadows.
"She continues to play like that, then yeah, I'm in trouble," Sabalenka said.
The 28-year-old from Belarus had won the previous two U.S. Open titles,
appeared in three straight finals and reached at least the semifinals every
year since 2021. Rybakina, meanwhile, had never even gotten past the fourth
round before this year.
"For some reason, New York wasn't my best place for tennis for the past years,"
Rybakina said, "but definitely now it changed."
So much has at the top of women's tennis.
It began toward the end of 2025, when Rybakina beat Sabalenka for the title at
the season-ending WTA Finals. Then it was the same result at the Australian
Open final, and Rybakina has gone on to match Sabalenka and French Open winner
Mirra Andreeva with a tour-high three titles. Her 49 victories are one behind
No. 3 Jessica Pegula for tops this year.
"I always believed that it's possible," Rybakina said. "We've been having great
results. Of course, not every year is the same. I won Wimbledon in 2022. Then I
wasn't winning the Slams, but I played the final of the Australian Open the
next year. I think we were always there.
"I feel like now I have a great team, great people around me, and we just
continue the work. It finally paid off."
Rybakina played so well over the past year --- and Sabalenka struggled this
summer --- that she was assured of accumulating enough points to move up from
No. 2 if she reached the semifinals at the U.S. Open. Perhaps the only thing
that could have prevented that was a foot injury that Rybakina sustained at the
Cincinnati Open. She stopped playing in her quarterfinal match against Iga
Swiatek and then couldn't get back on the court for a few days.
So Rybakina had a lot weighing on her mind in New York, but it never seemed to
affect her tennis.
"I feel like this tournament was just kind of more stressful because I was
playing for No. 1 one of the matches, and then, of course, this injury which
happened the week before," Rybakina said. "So every day was kind of a
challenge, but I felt like in these situations I was more calm than when
similar things were happening before."
She now needs only the French Open title to complete the career Grand Slam, and
that one always figured to be the toughest to get because the red clay slows
her powerful shots in ways that hard courts and grass can't.
There will surely be more meetings at the big events with Sabalenka, who held
the No. 1 ranking for 99 consecutive weeks.
"Ninety-nine?" Sabalenka said. "Well, that's amazing. Let's see if Elena can
beat me in that," she said with a laugh.
Sabalenka still leads their rivalry 10-8, and they have split four meetings
this year. But Rybakina won the matches that mattered most.
"I don't know what future will bring, but it's always very difficult matches
against Aryna, and I feel like we push each other to be better after such tough
battles," Rybakina said.
"I don't know what future is going to bring, but I hope success and some more
wins."
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