{
  "id": 7008329,
  "title": "New World No. 1 Elena Rybakina Halts Aryna Sabalenka 3-Peat Bid At U.S. Open",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/new-world-no-1-elena-rybakina-halts-aryna-sabalenka-3-peat-bid-at-u-s",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-12T22:38:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/world-no-1-elena-rybakina-223835060.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "New York, September 12 - In a thrilling U.S. Open final, Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina defeated defending champion and world No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, ending Sabalenka's quest for a record third consecutive title at the prestigious tournament. The match, held at Arthur Ashe Stadium, drew a crowd of over 23,000 spectators. A former U.S. Open champion among the crowd was Jennifer Capriati. Rybakina, the Russian-born Kazakh professional, secured her third major title after she had previously won the 2023 Australian Open and 2024 WTA Tour Finals. This victory ends Sabalenka's 19-match winning streak in New York, leaving her with a 4-5 record in major finals. Rybakina, who will officially become the world No. 1 on Monday, now boasts a 10-8 career record against Sabalenka, including six wins on hardcourts. The champion will take home $5.5 million, while Sabalenka, who has been world No. 1 for 99 consecutive weeks, earns $2.8 million. In the pivotal third set, Rybakina broke Sabalenka's serve when the latter hit a forehand long on match point. Demonstrating poise, Rybakina held at love for 4-2, then secured her second break point win with an ace. Winning the match on her second match point at 5-2, Rybakina served for the championship after breaking Sabalenka's serve at 2-4. The decisive moment in the second set occurred when Sabalenka double-faulted on break point, handing Rybakina a 3-2 lead. In the second set, Rybakina saved two set points before converting them, ultimately holding with a forehand winner that Sabalenka couldn't reach.",
  "summary": "In the span of four days, Rybakina took Sabalenka’s world No. 1 ranking away from her and then ended her bid for a three-peat at the U.S. Open.",
  "key_points": [
    "Elena Rybakina beats defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2",
    "Rybakina becomes new World No. 1, Sabalenka ends 19-match winning streak",
    "Rybakina wins $5.5M, Sabalenka earns $2.8M for U.S. Open title"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Front Office Sports",
        "title": "Elena Rybakina Wins First US Open Title, World No. 1, and $5.5M",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/elena-rybakina-wins-first-us-open-title-world-no-1-and-5-5m",
        "published": "2026-09-12T22:37:54.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Forbes",
        "title": "New World No. 1 Elena Rybakina Halts Aryna Sabalenka 3-Peat Bid At U.S. Open",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/new-world-no-1-elena-rybakina-halts-aryna-sabalenka-3-peat-bid-at-u-s-7008762",
        "published": "2026-09-12T22:38:35.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Elena Rybakina defeats Aryna Sabalenka in US Open women’s singles final",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/elena-rybakina-defeats-aryna-sabalenka-in-us-open-womens-singles-final",
        "published": "2026-09-12T23:14:28.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "New No. 1 Elena Rybakina dethrones Aryna Sabalenka to win US Open title",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/new-no-1-elena-rybakina-dethrones-aryna-sabalenka-to-win-us-open-title",
        "published": "2026-09-13T00:55:30.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}