NEW YORK (AP) — Elena Rybakina won her first U.S. Open title and punctuated her climb to the top of women’s tennis by beating Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 on Saturday.
Rybakina had already been guaranteed to replace Sabalenka at No. 1 in the rankings next week and for good measure took the U.S. Open title that Sabalenka had won the previous two years.
It was the third Grand Slam title for Rybakina and the second this year — both against Sabalenka on hard courts. She opened the season by beating Sabalenka for the Australian Open title.
This time, she stopped Sabalenka’s 19-match winning streak at the U.S. Open, where she hadn’t lost since falling to Coco Gauff in the 2023 final.
Rybakina earned $5.5 million, the largest prize in Grand Slam history, and tied Sabalenka and French Open winner Mirra Andreeva with a tour-high three titles this season.
Sabalenka took home $2.8 million but it was clear how little that meant to her, as she smashed her racket after a brief hug with Rybakina at the net.
Sabalenka was trying to become the first person since Serena Williams from 2012-14 to win three in a row at Flushing Meadows.
Rybakina dethroned the champ without even having her best stuff. The WTA Tour leader in aces got less than half of her first serves in but instead put Sabalenka under constant pressure with a strong return game, racking up 12 break chances and converting three, which was all she needed.
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