Ruthless Rybakina dethrones Sabalenka to claim first US Open crown
Elena Rybakina stunned the tennis world by defeating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the U.S. Open final, claiming her maiden Grand Slam title and becoming the third woman in a century to win all four hardcourt majors in the same year. The 27-year-old Russian-born Kazakh displayed icy composure throughout the tournament, overcoming an ankle injury that threatened to derail her campaign.
Rybakina's dominant performance, highlighted by her powerful groundstrokes and unwavering focus, secured her a $5.5 million prize and solidified her position as the world's top-ranked player. Sabalenka, despite a late surge, was unable to overcome Rybakina's superior play and left the court without any major titles in 2026.
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Also reported by 6 other outlets
- Rybakina triumphs in US Open, denies Sabalenka three-peat nst.com.my
- Elena Rybakina dethrones Aryna Sabalenka to win 1st U.S. Open title, punctuate her rise to No. 1 cbc.ca
- Harrison, Skupski win US Open men’s doubles title freemalaysiatoday.com
- Breaking: New world number one Rybakina dethrones Sabalenka in US Open final abc.net.au
- Aryna Sabalenka beats herself up as she is denied a US Open three-peat winnipegfreepress.com
- From injury fears to triumph, 'everything aligned' at US Open, says Rybakina channelnewsasia.com
