Kazakh player Elena Rybakina won the US Open tennis title, the last of the four major tournaments, after defeating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in three sets, with scores of 6-4, 5-7, and 6-2, adding her third Grand Slam title and rising to the top of the world ranking.
Rybakina delivered a strong and calm performance on the Arthur Ashe court, ending Sabalenka's winning streak at Flushing Meadows, which had extended to 20 consecutive matches, denying her rival the chance to achieve three consecutive titles in New York, a feat previously accomplished by Serena Williams and Chris Evert.
Despite concerns surrounding Rybakina's participation, at 27 years old, due to an ankle injury before the tournament, the Kazakh player managed to overcome her injury and continue her journey successfully to the championship, having won the Australian Open earlier this year and the Wimbledon title in 2022.
After her victory, Rybakina said, "I find it hard to find the words at this moment, I didn’t expect something like this when I came to participate in the tournament."
Rybakina became the third player of the 21st century to win both the Australian Open and the US Open on hard courts in the same year, joining Sabalenka and Germany's Angelique Kerber.
She added, "I was struggling with an injury, but everything came together in my favor somehow. Aryna, playing against you is very difficult; you push me to give my best."
Rybakina praised the fans who attended the final, saying, "I would like to thank the wonderful fans for this beautiful atmosphere. I have been coming here for the past ten years without any luck in succeeding, but I've started to fall in love with New York more and more."
The final witnessed a strong confrontation between the two players, in their third meeting in a Grand Slam final, where they exchanged powerful shots amid clear competitiveness, before Rybakina managed to secure the third set and the title in her favor.
Rybakina, the second seed, succeeded in breaking Sabalenka's serve for the first time to lead 3-2, benefiting from a double fault, before the Belarusian player received a conduct-related penalty after hitting a high ball towards the stands of the main court.
With this victory, Rybakina confirmed her arrival at the pinnacle of world tennis, while Sabalenka's quest for a third consecutive title in New York ended at the final match.