New York, United States, September 13, 2026: Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan won her first US Open title by defeating Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 on Saturday, September 12, to cement her climb to the top of women’s tennis.
Rybakina had already been guaranteed to replace Sabalenka at No. 1 and for good measure took the US Open that Sabalenka had won the previous two years.
“It’s tough to find words right now, honestly,” said Rybakina, the first Kazakhstan tennis player to become world number one.
“I don’t expect nothing like this coming to this tournament. I’ve been dealing with a little bit of injury, but somehow everything aligned together on my side,” she added.
It was the third Grand Slam title for Rybakina and the second this year. She opened the season by beating Sabalenka for the Australian Open title.
Rybakina, 27, earned US$5.5 million, the largest prize in Grand Slam history. She won her first major title at Wimbledon in 2022 and now just needs the French Open to complete the career Grand Slam.