Elena Rybakina just brought Aryna Sabalenka’s US Open three-peat dream crashing down, defeating her in three intense sets, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, inside a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday. This wasn’t just another championship; it was Rybakina’s first US Open title, and the tennis world is buzzing. Tennis legend Martina Navratilova didn’t pull any punches reacting to the final, calling out one crucial part of Sabalenka’s game as a “horrible job.”
Sabalenka’s Baseline Blunder Bleeds Break Points
Sabalenka, whose reign as world number one had already ended earlier in the week, looked completely out of sorts and grew visibly frustrated as Rybakina outmuscled her. Navratilova zeroed in on Sabalenka’s return game, specifically saying she did a “horrible job” getting Rybakina’s serve back. What’s wild is Sabalenka stood much closer to the baseline for returns than in their previous matches. Navratilova questioned this tactical shift, especially since Sabalenka beat Rybakina more soundly in Miami, and this US Open court played like Miami. She even admitted she would “like to ask her” about the change, and why she did not change it during the match. Sabalenka’s struggles were clear: she did not even have a single break point in the first set and only managed two in the second. That first set was her best chance to take control, but she absolutely botched her second serve returns, a crucial mistake Navratilova highlighted.
Rybakina Hijacked the Narrative, Became the Bully
While Sabalenka struggled, Rybakina was on a mission, dictating rallies for the majority of the match with her powerful serve and groundstrokes. Talk about flipping the script! Navratilova was stunned, saying, “We do not see that.” Usually, it is Sabalenka who is doing the bullying on court, putting opponents on the defense and on their heels. Instead, it was Rybakina delivering all the heat. Despite recording a first serve percentage of just 47%, Rybakina was broken only once by Sabalenka throughout the entire match. Her serving numbers were seriously impressive, racking up an 85% win percentage on her first serve and a solid 66% on her second serve against Sabalenka. Navratilova summed it up perfectly: “It was not as if Sabalenka lost the match, Rybakina won it. I did not expect that.”
The loss brings Rybakina’s head-to-head record to 8-10 against Sabalenka. As Navratilova suggested, this means it is “back to the drawing board” for Sabalenka. After beating Rybakina in both Indian Wells and Miami earlier this season, following a loss in the Australian Open final, Sabalenka clearly needs to figure out a new game plan. The big question looming is what Sabalenka will do next time she faces Rybakina, especially if Rybakina plays this well again. You can bet Sabalenka is already thinking about that rematch.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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