‘Everything Aligned’ – Rybakina Reacts After Winning First US Open Title
Elena Rybakina has described her historic US Open triumph as a moment when “everything aligned” after overcoming injury concerns to claim her first title at Flushing Meadows.
The Kazakhstan star defeated defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the final at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday, September 12, securing her third Grand Slam title.
The victory also saw Rybakina officially take over as world No. 1, ending Sabalenka’s 99-week reign at the top of the WTA rankings.
Rybakina admitted that she did not expect to leave New York as champion, particularly after entering the tournament with doubts over her fitness.
The 27-year-old had suffered an ankle injury that forced her to withdraw from the Cincinnati tournament just weeks before the US Open. Her participation in New York was initially uncertain.
She revealed that she underwent an MRI after arriving in New York and spent several days concentrating heavily on recovery and treatment.
“For seven days I was just going from my hotel room to the gym, three hours there spending, a lot of recovery, treatments,” Rybakina said.
Despite those concerns, she gradually found her rhythm and produced a remarkable run through the tournament.
The new champion defeated former US Open winner Naomi Osaka in the fourth round before overcoming China’s Qinwen Zheng in the quarter-finals.
She then produced another impressive performance against 2023 champion Coco Gauff, winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the semi-final.
That set up another major showdown with Sabalenka, a player who has developed into one of Rybakina’s biggest rivals.
Rybakina eventually prevailed in three sets, recovering from losing the second set to dominate the decider 6-2.
The US Open final was the latest chapter in an increasingly compelling rivalry between the two stars.
Rybakina had already defeated Sabalenka in the Australian Open final earlier this year, while Sabalenka had beaten her in Indian Wells and Miami.
Saturday’s victory was Rybakina’s third Grand Slam title, following her Wimbledon triumph in 2022 and Australian Open success earlier in 2026.
Rybakina also acknowledged the role of their rivalry in pushing both players to improve.
She said she hoped their battles would continue to inspire both of them to find new ways to improve their games.
The victory was particularly meaningful because of Rybakina’s previous struggles at the US Open.
She revealed that she had been coming to New York for about a decade without achieving anything close to a title run.
That changed dramatically in 2026.
“I honestly was coming here for last 10 years and it never was successful,” she said, adding that she was now “falling in love with New York more and more.”
Rybakina’s victory also made her only the third woman this century to win both hard-court Grand Slam tournaments in the same season, joining Sabalenka and Angelique Kerber.
For a player who arrived in New York unsure whether her body would allow her to compete, leaving with the US Open trophy and the world No. 1 ranking represents one of the most remarkable chapters of her career.
