Elena Rybakina wins her first U.S. Open, besting defending champion Aryna Sabalenka

Updated on: September 12, 2026 / 8:18 PM EDT / AP

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 U.S. Open trophy.

The tournament that for so long was a struggle for Rybakina turned into the site of her coronation.

Rybakina won her first U.S. 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 tough to find words right now, honestly," Rybakina said. "I don't expect nothing like this coming to this tournament. I've been dealing with a little bit with an injury, but somehow everything aligned together on my side."

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, Rybakina stopped Sabalenka's 19-match winning streak at the U.S. Open, where she…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/