Rybakina beats Sabalenka to win US Open title, punctuate her rise to No. 1
Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka to win her first US Open title, securing her position as the world's No. 1 ranked tennis player. This victory marks her third Grand Slam title and follows a season-long rivalry between the two athletes.
Why it matters
The result represents a significant shift in the hierarchy of women's professional tennis and highlights the competitive intensity of the current Grand Slam circuit.
NEW YORK — Elena Rybakina came to New York and took everything that had belonged to Aryna Sabalenka.
First, it was the No. 1 ranking in women's tennis, then the US Open trophy.
The tournament that for so long was a struggle for Rybakina turned into the site of her coronation.
Rybakina won her first US Open title and punctuated her climb to the top of her sport by beating 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 title that Sabalenka had won the previous two years.
“It’s still so difficult to process what happened,” Rybakina said. “Too many achievements these few weeks.”
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