When Aryna Sabalenka arrived at Flushing Meadows, she looked determined to continue her dominance at Arthur Ashe. And on her way to the final, the Belarusian appeared to have found better control over her form. But when she came up against a familiar rival in Elena Rybakina in the final, things did not go her way.
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Sabalenka not only lost the match but also surrendered her World No. 1 ranking to Rybakina during the tournament. The result clearly took an emotional toll on the Belarusian, as she smashed her racket multiple times after the loss before throwing it away. And when it was time to address the crowd, she could not hold back her tears during her finalist speech.
“That’s the last thing I want to do right now is to speak. But I’ll try my best,” said Sabalenka as she broke down in tears during the post-match interview. She then took a moment to express her gratitude and added, “Thank you all the sponsors for making this event possible, and thank you everyone I don’t know who helped me throughout these two weeks. Can’t wait to comeback next year. Thank you to my teams, to my friends. I wish I could perform a little better (cries) but I guess next year.”
Notably, the moment carried extra emotional weight for Sabalenka for two reasons. She had arrived in New York chasing a historic third consecutive US Open title, while also hoping to avenge her Australian Open final defeat to Rybakina earlier this year. But Rybakina, calm as ever under pressure, once again found answers in the biggest moments.
The margins were tiny, the rallies brutal, and the tension constant – exactly what fans have come to expect whenever these two powerhouses share a court. However, after losing in a tough three-set battle, the Belarusian’s meltdown wasn’t just limited to racket smash. There were already signs that Sabalenka was losing her cool as the match began slipping away.
Rybakina secured the first break of the match and comfortably held her next service game to move 4-2 ahead in the opening set. That was when Sabalenka’s frustration boiled over. The World No. 1 blasted a ball into the crowd and was immediately handed a code violation for ball abuse. According to ESPN commentators, the ball reportedly struck the bottom camera near a cameraman.
And once Sabalenka lost her serve, she struggled to regain control of the match. Rybakina continued to dictate the proceedings and eventually sealed the win 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.
She even told the cameraman to “f**k off’ as they were filming her while she was showcasing her disappointment, sitting beside her boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis. Meanwhile, Rybakina kept her cool, held her nerve, and walked away with the title, plus a third Grand Slam trophy.
A New Queen at the Top: Rybakina Ends Sabalenka’s No. 1 Run
For years, Sabalenka set the standard on hard courts. Now, the torch has officially passed. Rybakina leaves New York not only as the new US Open champion, but also as Kazakhstan’s first World No. 1 – a moment that felt less like an upset and more like the arrival of a new era.
As Sabalenka’s 99-week stay at No. 1 comes to an end, a new era in women’s tennis has officially begun.
For Sabalenka, the defeat was particularly painful. The frustration that had bubbled throughout the match finally gave way to a visibly emotional moment after the final point, as another Grand Slam opportunity slipped away.
“Obviously I’m disappointed but I want to congratulate Elena on an incredible year and incredible results. Well-deserved. Enjoy it. Have fun tonight tomorrow and the end of the season so I can win some titles. Thank you,” Sabalenka said in her speech.
There was little Sabalenka could do to stop the Rybakina surge once the Kazakh found her rhythm. Dressed in yellow and black, Rybakina produced the kind of effortless power that has become her signature, absorbing Sabalenka’s aggression and sending it back with interest. The victory was her 41st against a Top-10 opponent and her 10th such win of 2026, taking her to 49 victories this season.
More importantly, Rybakina now has three Grand Slam titles and two in 2026, having already conquered the Australian Open earlier this year. She has reached the summit of the rankings and now owns three of the four major championships, with only Roland Garros missing from her collection. Even more remarkably, her last three victories over Sabalenka have all come on the biggest stages: the WTA Finals, the Australian Open final and now the US Open final.
For all the power in her game, perhaps the most striking part of Rybakina’s rise is how little noise surrounds it. She does not need to announce her arrival. The trophies are doing that for her.