Kazakhstan’s Rybakina, confident of displacing Sabalenka at the top of the rankings after reaching the semi-finals in New York, won her third Grand Slam title after the 2022 Wimbledon crown and the Australian Open trophy she won this year by defeating Sabalenka.
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Rybakina has played three of four Grand Slam finals against Sabalenka, winning two and losing one at the 2023 Australian Open.
“I’m at a loss for words right now,” Rybakina said as she accepted the trophy at a tournament where she had never made it past the fourth round before. “I’m falling more and more in love with New York.”
Sabalenka, unbeaten in her previous 20 matches at Flushing Meadows, fought back bravely in the second set, breaking Rybakina for the first time in the final game and forcing a third.
But with her trademark aplomb, Rybakina stormed back to finish off a frustrated Sabalenka, who smashed her racket while sitting in her chair as the crowd applauded her opponent. Sabalenka, 28, will end the year without a major title for the first time since 2022.
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Two of the top hitters in the women’s game are out. After Rybakina saved at love in the second game, she gave Sabalenka trouble in the third, unleashing a backhand winner to create chances for the first break of the match.
Sabalenka saved one break point with a forehand down the line and snatched another forehand winner on the next. A double fault gave Rybakina another chance, but Sabalenka held the winning volley and finished the game with her first ace.
However, two games later, Rybakina took control of the situation and ruthlessly pushed Sabalenka away with her deep groundstrokes. At a loss, Sabalenka double-faulted on a break point and then sent the ball skyward, receiving a foul warning for mishandling the ball.
After another catch by Rybakina and a break point by Sabalenka, the difference was 4-3.
Rybakina did not make a single unforced error in seven games, and Sabalenka looked increasingly desperate.
Extending the set at 5-3, she hit the ball overhead a few feet from the baseline and had to regroup before finishing with an ace and service winner.
But Rybakina was not denied and despite a hint of nervousness as she conceded her first double fault of the match, she pulled the set back to 6-4 with a screaming backhand winner before Sabalenka hit a long putt to seal the decider.
– “I think next year” –
The second set started in much the same way, with Sabalenka saving a pair of break points in the third game before hitting a powerful serve to hold.
She never made any headway against Rybakina’s serve, but she seemed to have found something of her own, twice holding at love to take a 5-4 lead.
Sabalenka’s first break points of the match gave her a chance to close out the set, but she hit a long forehand in the first match and a long serve return in the second as Rybakina leveled the set at 5-5.
Nevertheless, Sabalenka was gaining confidence. She held a 6-5 lead before breaking Rybakina to force a third set – but it proved to be only a short reprieve.
“I would like to do a little better,” Sabalenka told the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd, her voice wavering, “but next year, I guess.”