Elena Rybakina Wins US Open and Ascends to World Number One
19 sources across 14 countries · 1 of them is linked to a state
Who reported this
- The Guardian
- BBC News
- Reuters
- The Telegraph
- CNN Brasil
- Folha de S.Paulo
- CNN
- Associated Press
- La Nacion
- La Tercera
- Le Monde
- Frankfurter Allgemeine
- The Indian Express
- The Japan Times
- NRC
- Philippine Daily Inquirer
- Al Jazeera
- The Korea Herald
- El Pais
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
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Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 on Saturday, September 12, 2026, to win her first US Open title. With this victory, the 27 year old Kazakhstani player also secured the world number one ranking, replacing Sabalenka who had held the top spot for 99 consecutive weeks. This marks the third Grand Slam title of Rybakina's career, following her victory at Wimbledon in 2022 and the Australian Open earlier in 2026.
Sabalenka entered the final as the two time defending champion, having won the title in 2024 and 2025. She sought to become only the third woman in the open era to win three consecutive US Open titles, joining Serena Williams and Chris Evert. However, Rybakina's victory snapped Sabalenka's 19 match winning streak at Flushing Meadows. Rybakina earned a prize of 5.5 million dollars, which sources describe as the largest in Grand Slam history.
The match was characterized by the contrasting temperaments of the two athletes. Rybakina remained composed throughout the contest, while Sabalenka displayed visible frustration. During the first set, Sabalenka received a code violation for hitting a ball into the stands following a double fault. After the match, Sabalenka smashed her racket in her player box. Rybakina's path to the title was particularly notable because she had suffered an ankle or achilles injury during the Cincinnati Open that left her uncertain if she could compete in New York.
Reports on the match highlighted different aspects of the players' performances. Center and center left outlets focused on Rybakina's icy composure and the dramatic shift in the world rankings. Center right outlets emphasized the tactical nature of the match, noting Rybakina's ability to absorb Sabalenka's power and the physical toll the final set took on the Belarusian.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- Emphasized Rybakina's mental toughness and the narrative of her dethroning the previous queen of New York.
- Centre
- Focused on the factual transition of the world number one ranking and the match statistics.
- Centre-right
- Highlighted the tactical breakdown of the play and the physical decline of Sabalenka in the final set.
Sources
- Centre-left Al Jazeera: Elena Rybakina defeats Aryna Sabalenka in US Open women’s singles final
- Centre Associated Press: Elena Rybakina beats Aryna Sabalenka to win the US Open title and punctuate her rise to No. 1 - AP News
- Centre BBC News: Rybakina wins US Open to inflict further pain on Sabalenka
- Centre-left CNN: New world No. 1 Elena Rybakina wins maiden US Open title in three-set thriller
- Centre CNN Brasil: Top 1: Rybakina wins first US Open title by defeating Sabalenka
- Centre-left El Pais: This is how a true number one is crowned, the champion Elena Rybakina
- Centre Folha de S.Paulo: Rybakina, number 1 in the world, beats Sabalenka and is US Open champion
- Centre-right Frankfurter Allgemeine: US Open: Rybakina wins for the first time in New York and climbs to number one
- Centre-right La Nacion: Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka and is the new US Open champion
- Centre-right La Nacion: This is how the historical table of US Open champions looks, after the title of Elena Rybakina
- Centre-right La Tercera: United States has a new queen: Rybakina breaks Sabalenka's dominance and is crowned for the first time at the US Open
- Centre-left Le Monde: US Open 2026: Elena Rybakina, new queen of New York and world tennis
- Centre NRC: New world number one Elena Rybakina wins US Open
- Centre Philippine Daily Inquirer: Elena Rybakina beats Aryna Sabalenka to win US Open amid rise to No. 1
- Centre Reuters: Ruthless Rybakina dethrones Sabalenka to capture first US Open crown - Reuters
- Centre-left The Guardian: Elena Rybakina beats Aryna Sabalenka to seal dramatic US Open title triumph
- Centre The Indian Express: Watch: Aryna Sabalenka destroys racquet after losing US Open title, World No 1 spot
- Centre The Indian Express: Elena Rybakina beats Aryna Sabalenka to win US Open, become No. 1
- Centre The Japan Times: Ruthless Rybakina dethrones Sabalenka to capture first U.S. Open crown
- Centre-right The Korea Herald: Rybakina wins US Open title
- Centre-right The Telegraph: Emotions run high and Sabalenka smashes racket after Rybakina clinches US Open
93% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.