Rybakina beats Sabalenka to win 2026 US Open women's singles title
Synopsis
Elena Rybakina didn't just win the 2026 US Open — she dismantled a dynasty. By beating Sabalenka for the third straight time on the biggest stages, she ended a 99-week reign at No. 1 and bookended her Grand Slam season with a third major title. One Roland Garros stands between her and the Career Slam.
Key Takeaways
Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the 2026 US Open women's singles final on 13 September 2026 .
It is Rybakina's third Grand Slam title and her third title of 2026 , having also won the Australian Open in January.
Rybakina ended Sabalenka's 99-week hold at world No.
1 and will rise to the top ranking on Monday .
She is the first player to beat the defending US Open women's champion in the final since Serena Williams in 2002 .
Rybakina now needs only a Roland Garros title to complete the Career Slam .
Sabalenka is left without a Grand Slam title in 2026 , breaking her streak of at least one major per year since 2023 .
Elena Rybakina defeated two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 on 13 September 2026 at Arthur Ashe Stadium to claim her first US Open women's singles crown — and her third Grand Slam title. The match lasted 2 hours and 21 minutes, closing out a dominant season for the Kazakhstani in spectacular fashion.
A Season-Bookending Victory
Rybakina, who also defeated Sabalenka in the Australian Open final in January 2026, became only the third player since 2000 to win both the Australian Open and US Open in the same season, joining Angelique Kerber (2016) and Sabalenka herself (2024). It is her third title of 2026 and the 14th of her career.
With this triumph, Rybakina now stands one Roland Garros title away from completing the Career Slam — the rarest achievement in tennis, requiring all four majors.
End of Sabalenka's No. 1 Reign
In the course of her run to the title, Rybakina ended Sabalenka's 99-week hold on the world No. 1 ranking. She is set to rise to world No. 1 when the WTA rankings are updated on Monday. This is also the first time a player has beaten the defending women's singles champion in the US Open final since Serena Williams in 2002 — and the first at any Grand Slam since Madison Keys at the 2025 Australian Open. Rybakina is additionally the first player to defeat the World No. 1 in the US Open final since Williams beat Victoria Azarenka in 2012.
A Rivalry Tipped Decisively
Rybakina improved her head-to-head record against Sabalenka to 8-10 on the WTA Tour. Her last three victories in the rivalry have each come on the grandest stages: the WTA Finals championship match in late 2025, the Australian Open final in January 2026, and Saturday's US Open final. The Rybakina-Sabalenka dynamic has defined women's tennis across multiple continents and surfaces this season.
Sabalenka's Grand Slam Streak Halted
For Sabalenka, the defeat marks the end of a streak in which she had won at least one Grand Slam title every year since 2023, when she claimed her maiden major at the 2023 Australian Open — defeating, notably, Rybakina in that final. The 2026 US Open was Sabalenka's last Grand Slam opportunity of the year, and the result leaves her without a major title for the first time in three years.
What Comes Next for Rybakina
With the year-end WTA Finals still to come and the Roland Garros title as the only remaining barrier to a Career Slam, Rybakina enters the final stretch of the season as the sport's clear frontrunner. Her ascent to No. 1 after years at the top without the ranking will add further motivation heading into the clay season next year.
Point of View
Australian Open, and US Open finals suggest a psychological and tactical edge that hard-court conditions alone cannot explain. What is underreported is the ranking distortion: Rybakina has been the best player in the world for stretches of 2025 and 2026 without the No. 1 badge to match. That changes Monday, and it matters for sponsorships, seedings, and legacy. The bigger story, though, is what this means for Sabalenka: a three-year streak of Grand Slam titles is over, and the window to rewrite that narrative shrinks with each Rybakina final.
NationPress
13 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2026 US Open women's singles title?
Elena Rybakina won the 2026 US Open women's singles title, defeating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 on 13 September 2026. It is her third Grand Slam title and her first US Open crown.
What was the score in the 2026 US Open women's final?
Rybakina defeated Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in a match that lasted 2 hours and 21 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.
Will Rybakina become world No. 1 after the US Open?
Yes. By winning the 2026 US Open, Rybakina accumulated enough ranking points to end Sabalenka's 99-week reign at No. 1. She is set to be confirmed as the new WTA world No. 1 when rankings are updated on Monday.
How close is Rybakina to completing the Career Slam?
Rybakina has now won the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. She needs only a Roland Garros title to complete the Career Slam — all four Grand Slam titles.
What records did Rybakina break in the 2026 US Open final?
Rybakina became the first player to beat the defending US Open women's champion in the final since Serena Williams in 2002, and the first to defeat the world No. 1 in the US Open final since Williams beat Victoria Azarenka in 2012. She is also only the third player since 2000 to win the Australian Open and US Open in the same season.
