Elena Rybakina just crowned herself the new world No. 1, absolutely dominating top-seed Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open final with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory! This isn’t just any win, folks, it’s her third career major, and she did it by shutting down the two-time defending champion at Flushing Meadows. Talk about a statement! Rybakina wanted that top spot in the USTA rankings, and she went out and took it.
Rybakina’s Third Set Masterclass Buries Sabalenka’s Hopes
The third set was an absolute clinic from Rybakina, who broke Sabalenka early on and then again when she was up 5-2. She held off the defending champ with pure precision and execution, dropping a measly three points on her serve throughout that entire final set. That’s a dominant showing that speaks volumes! This win marks Rybakina’s tenth victory over a No. 1 ranked player, and get this, six of those ten wins came against Sabalenka. The Belarusian might have held the top spot for a ridiculous 99 consecutive weeks, but Rybakina’s hot stretch this season clearly showed she was coming for it, and she just snatched it away.
Frustration Boils Over as Sabalenka’s Three-Peat Dream Dies
You could feel the tension, man. As Sabalenka started to unravel midway through that decisive third set, the chair umpire actually had to tell the crowd to chill out, asking them to be courteous and turn off camera flashes. That’s how much the pressure was getting to everyone. Sabalenka was aiming to be the first to three-peat at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams did it back in 2014, but Rybakina slammed that door shut. Rybakina sealed the deal with her 12th ace of the match, an exclamation point on an incredible performance. Sabalenka, visibly frustrated, even tossed her racket in the air after Rybakina held at love to push ahead 4-2 in the third. She fought hard in the second set, forcing the decider, but in the end, it was Rybakina’s day.
Rybakina’s own words after the match were pure gold: “It’s tough to find words, I didn’t expect nothing like this coming into this tournament dealing with an injury, but somehow everything aligned on my side.” An injury, really? And she pulled this off? She also said it’s “so difficult to play Aryna, she pushes you to your limits.” But even with that challenge, even after “coming here the last 10 years and was never successful, nothing close to that,” she made it happen. She’s falling in love with New York, and frankly, New York just fell in love with its new champion. She’s the new world No. 1, and the tour just got a whole lot more interesting.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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