{
  "id": 7021019,
  "title": "Defiant Sabalenka motivated by US Open defeat",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/defiant-sabalenka-motivated-by-us-open-defeat",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-12T23:53:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/defiant-sabalenka-motivated-us-open-235313493.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Belarusian tennis star Aryna Sabalenka has vowed to work harder after her loss at the US Open, which knocked her off the world number one spot for the first time in 107 weeks. The 28-year-old was defeated by Elena Rybakina in a final set loss 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. This loss marks Sabalenka's first defeat since 2022, as she had previously advanced to the semi-finals at the US Open. Despite the disappointment, Sabalenka remains optimistic, stating that she is happy with her level of play and that she will take many lessons from this tournament. She believes her performance, particularly her ability to come back stronger, will motivate her for the upcoming year. Sabalenka also expressed her gratitude for the support she received from the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, saying it felt amazing and made her feel more like an American player. However, she emphasized that her ranking as a top player will not change due to this loss, as she will continue to work hard and improve her game.",
  "summary": "Aryna Sabalenka, denied a third consecutive US Open title and toppled from the world number one spot she had held for 99 weeks, vowed to come back stronger after a season of disappointment.And she'll take pride in a reign at number one, a place she has held for a total of 107 weeks -- including the stretch of 99 straight weeks that will end on Monday.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 7,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Adom Online",
        "title": "Rybakina wins US Open to inflict further pain on Sabalenka",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/rybakina-wins-us-open-to-inflict-further-pain-on-sabalenka-7058115",
        "published": "2026-09-12T18:09:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Rybakina wins US Open, denies Sabalenka third straight title",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/rybakina-wins-us-open-denies-sabalenka-third-straight-title-7025138",
        "published": "2026-09-12T22:53:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC News",
        "title": "Rybakina wins US Open to inflict further pain on Sabalenka",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/rybakina-wins-us-open-to-inflict-further-pain-on-sabalenka",
        "published": "2026-09-12T23:19:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "The New Queen of New York: Elena Rybakina's US Open win cranks up tennis' next great rivalry",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/the-new-queen-of-new-york-elena-rybakinas-us-open-win-cranks-up",
        "published": "2026-09-13T00:30:35.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Japan Times",
        "title": "Ruthless Rybakina dethrones Sabalenka to capture first U.S. Open crown",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/ruthless-rybakina-dethrones-sabalenka-to-capture-first-u-s-open-crown",
        "published": "2026-09-13T01:24:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "Sabalenka smashes racket, hits ball into crowd after US Open defeat to Rybakina",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/sabalenka-smashes-racket-hits-ball-into-crowd-after-us-open-defeat-to",
        "published": "2026-09-13T02:54:34.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}