Rybakina claims US Open title and world No 1 as Sabalenka misses three-peat

A screaming roar erupts as Elena Rybakina punches the air after sealing the US Open title, a moment that also confirms her rise to world No 1^5,12. The Kazakh athlete, known for her calm, precise game, minute-by-minute peels away the pressure to execute a clean, strategic win against Aryna Sabalenka, who fought hard but could not sustain the momentum, with the final score reading 6-4 5-7 6-2 in New York, ending Sabalenka’s bid for a third straight crown^5,12.

Rybakina’s 27th birthday year has been packed with milestones, including a long injury scare that nearly kept her from the event, a scare she acknowledged only by focusing on recovery scans and a tailored fitness plan that allowed her to reach peak form just in time for the fortnight^6,21.

In a high-stakes finale, Rybakina dug deep in the deciding set, leveraging a mix of aggressive baseline depth and careful serve placement to push Sabalenka into a string of forced errors, while holding serve confidently under late-match pressure and claiming her third major title overall, a breakthrough that also brought the prospect of a rapidly rising ranking as soon as the official update is published^5,12,15.

The win also marks a historic moment for Kazakhstan, as Rybakina becomes the first player from her country—cementing a new chapter for Kazakh tennis—to reach No 1 in singles and underscoring a broader national presence on the sport’s biggest stage amid growing investment in junior development and senior-level coaching programs⁶.