New Delhi, September 13: Elena Rybakina has made her mark at Flushing Meadows in emphatic fashion, throwing a wrench into Aryna Sabalenka's dreams of completing a historic three-peat. The 27-year-old Kazakhstani tennis star arrived in the US dreaming of securing the World No. 1 rank in the WTA, but she left with an even bigger prize: the coveted silverware.
Rybakina sealed the biggest win of her Flushing Meadows campaign on Saturday, overcoming defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The hard-fought triumph marked a milestone in the Kazakh's career, earning her a maiden US Open crown and a third Grand Slam title overall, while also adding another major trophy to her haul this season.
"It's tough
to find words right now, honestly. I don't expect anything like this coming to this tournament. I've been dealing with a little bit of an injury, but somehow everything aligned together on my side," Rybakina said after the win.
US Open Finals As It Happened
The finals proved to be a cracker of a match, played out between two top tennis stars. Elena put immediate pressure on Sabalenka and created 12 break opportunities, converting three.
Rybakina, the WTA Tour's most prolific ace machine, did not have her first serve firing at its usual level, putting fewer than half of her first deliveries into play. She more than made up for it, however, with aggressive returning and crisp, authoritative groundstrokes.
Sabalenka's frustration boiled over early. A double fault handed Rybakina a 3-2 advantage in the opening set, prompting the defending champion to launch a ball into the stands and earn a code violation. Rybakina stayed composed through the disruption and held firm to take the first set 6-4.
Sabalenka took the second set as she turned up the intensity and began breaking down Rybakina's resistance. Rybakina fended off two break points at 4-4, but Sabalenka earned another chance in the following game and made no mistake this time, breaking to draw level.
Rybakina, though, quickly reasserted herself in the decider. She briefly let her emotions show after missing a backhand on break point in the opening game, but regained her composure almost immediately. From there, she took charge, racing to a 5-2 lead before serving out the match to claim the biggest victory of her New York career.
For Sabalenka, the defeat brought an abrupt end to her bid for a third straight US Open championship, leaving the coveted three-peat just out of reach.
"I was just out there competing, trying to do my best with what I had there today," Sabalenka said after the match. "Not good enough. "
Long-Lost Three-Peat Dream For Sabalenka
The defeat ended the three-peat dreams of Sabalenka, denying her a place alongside Serena Williams and Chris Evert as a three-time champion.
Sabalenka had dominated at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in recent years, reaching four straight US Open Finals and at least the semifinals in six consecutive appearances. But Rybakina's combination of power, accuracy and remarkable calm proved too much.
The result also flipped the rankings at the top of women's tennis. Sabalenka had occupied No. 1 for 99 consecutive weeks, but Rybakina will officially take over the position on Monday.
