Rybakina defeats Sabalenka to win US Open and claim world number one ranking

Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the US Open final on Saturday in New York, securing her first title at Flushing Meadows and ascending to world No. 1 in the WTA rankings. The 27-year-old Kazakhstani, who entered the match knowing she would replace Sabalenka at the top regardless of the result, claimed her third Grand Slam title after previous wins at Wimbledon in 2022 and the Australian Open earlier this year .
Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, fought back in the second set after Rybakina dominated early, but unforced errors and visible frustration undermined her bid for a historic third consecutive US Open title. Rybakina, composed throughout, broke decisively in the third set and sealed the victory with an ace, despite a double fault on her first championship point .
The win capped a tournament in which Rybakina overcame an Achilles injury that had sidelined her for a week before the event and the pressure of clinching the top ranking. She now holds all three major hard-court titles: the Australian Open, US Open, and WTA Finals . Sabalenka had held the No. 1 ranking for 99 consecutive weeks before the final .
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