Rybakina Wins US Open, Set to Become World No. 1

Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina won the US Open final, defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. The match lasted two hours and 21 minutes, and as a result of the tournament, 27-year-old Rybakina will take over from Sabalenka atop the world rankings on Monday.

This was Rybakina's second win over Sabalenka in a Grand Slam final this year — she previously beat her rival in the Australian Open final (6-4, 4-6, 6-4). The overall head-to-head record between the two now stands at 8-10 in the Belarusian's favor, but the Moscow-born player also holds the 2022 Wimbledon title.

The champion's reaction

"Honestly, it's hard to find the words right now. I didn't expect something like this to happen at this tournament. An injury got in the way a bit, but in the end everything worked out well," Rybakina said after the match. "I've been coming here for ten years and I've never been successful here, I never even came close to anything like this. It's amazing. I like New York more and more," the player admitted.

During the final, Rybakina won 36 points and made fewer unforced errors than her opponent — 24 to 35. She converted three of twelve break points and lost her own serve just once.

Sabalenka's fourth straight final

For Sabalenka, this was her fourth consecutive US Open final, but she suffered her first defeat on New York hard courts in 20 matches. Earlier in the tournament, Sabalenka beat Czech player Linda Nosková in the quarterfinal, but ultimately missed her chance to claim a fifth Grand Slam title.

"The last thing I want to do right now is give a speech. I'm disappointed, but I sincerely congratulate Elena — she's had an amazing year," Sabalenka said. "I feel at home here and I can't wait to come back next year. I wish I'd played a bit better today, but I believe it will all work out in a year," she added.

How the final unfolded

Rybakina started the match more confidently and took the first set in 44 minutes in front of stars of tennis, sport and cinema. The Moscow-born player didn't give her opponent a single break point, while constantly keeping Sabalenka under pressure herself. Her first break chances came as early as the third game, but the Belarusian fended them off then. The decisive moment came at 2-2 — Rybakina converted a break point, and an angry Sabalenka smashed the ball into the stands and received a warning.

In the second set, Sabalenka seized the initiative: at 5-4 she had two set points, but both times the ball went out. Another chance came her way in the 12th game — this time the Belarusian converted it, levelling the match at one set apiece.

The third set decided the match's outcome — for the eleventh straight time out of the pair's 18 career meetings. Rybakina kept her composure, served consistently, and moved 3-1 ahead after a break. When Sabalenka lost her serve again in the seventh game, the gap widened to 2-5, and at 0-30 the Belarusian signaled to her team that she no longer believed a turnaround was possible. Rybakina made her final game slightly harder for herself with two double faults, but ultimately closed out the match with an ace — her twelfth of the final.

The tournament was held on hard courts in New York, with a prize fund of $108 million.

Source: sport.cz