US Open: Elena Rybakina Wins the Trophy and the No. 1 Ranking—There’s a Backstory

After two hours and 21 minutes, Elena Rybakina won the U.S. Open. The Kazakhstani defeated defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in three sets: 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. Thanks to this victory, Elena Rybakina is now the new world No. 1.

The Kazakhstani player takes home her 14th career title but, more importantly, her third Grand Slam title, following her victories at Wimbledon 2022 and the Australian Open 2026. “I’ve been coming here to play for the past 10 years, and I’d never had any success on this court. I’d never even come close—now it’s incredible: I love New York more than ever,” she said after the final.

There’s an interesting backstory behind this triumph. When the Kazakhstani player arrived in New York, she underwent an MRI that did not yield encouraging results. It was so serious that she nearly had to withdraw from the tournament. Elena Rybalkina herself revealed that she spent a week without touching a racket before the start of the U.S. Open, working out only in the gym to recover from her injury.

Aryna Sabalenka, despite the crushing defeat, tried to stay positive in her post-match comments: “Enjoy the victory, but leave something for me too, so I can win a few tournaments.” There will certainly be more showdowns between these two stars of women’s tennis.