Top-ranked Rybakina wins US Open

New York — Elena Rybakina denied Aryna Sabalenka a third straight US Open title on Saturday, punctuating her rise to world number one with a victory over the player she’s replacing at the summit.

Rybakina, already assured of supplanting Sabalenka atop the rankings by reaching the semi-finals in New York, triumphed 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to claim her third Grand Slam title.

She won her first at Wimbledon in 2022 and beat Sabalenka in the Australian Open final to claim her second in January.

“It feels amazing,” Rybakina said. “It’s still so difficult to process what happened. Too much achievements these few weeks. I’m super happy, very proud of all the work. It’s just amazing.”

She ended Sabalenka’s 20-match winning streak in Flushing Meadows, where the 2024 and 2025 champion hadn’t lost since falling to Coco Gauff in the 2023 final.