Aryna Sabalenka enters the Sabalenka US Open final against Elena Rybakina knowing her 99-week reign as world number one is already over, with Rybakina assured of the top ranking regardless of Saturday’s result at Flushing Meadows.
Rybakina secured the ranking move by reaching the semi-finals, meaning Sabalenka’s place at the summit was gone before either player stepped onto the final’s court. For Sabalenka, the match now carries a different kind of weight: a bid to become only the third woman in the Open era to win the New York singles title three years in a row.
Sabalenka US Open Final: The Ranking Stakes
Rybakina had already beaten Sabalenka to win this year’s Australian Open title, giving her the opportunity on Saturday to take both her rival’s ranking and her US Open crown in the same season. Her path to the final included victories over Zheng Qinwen and Coco Gauff, results that demonstrated, in the view of former British number one Annabel Croft, her durability in baseline exchanges and physical scraps.
According to Tennis Majors, Rybakina is the first player since Justine Henin in 2007 to beat former US Open champions in both the semi-final and the final. By winning both the Australian Open and the US Open in the same season, she joins a list that includes Steffi Graf in 1988 and 1989, Monica Seles in 1991 and 1992, Martina Hingis in 1997, Angelique Kerber in 2016 and Sabalenka herself in 2024.
Croft, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, said Sabalenka’s loss of the top ranking would serve as a spur rather than a burden. ‘It is going to be red rag to a bull for her, she is not going to be happy,’ she said. ‘Now she has the opportunity to end this year on a high.’
Coach Dubrov: ‘Extra Fuel’ for Sabalenka
Sabalenka’s coach Anton Dubrov acknowledged the ranking situation had been a drain on his player’s mental energy but said its resolution brought a kind of relief. ‘I actually like this happened,’ Dubrov said. ‘It’s ended and it’s extra fuel. There is no more extra draining or thinking about it. There’s a next chapter right now. You have to chase again. It’s extra motivation for you. Just go and get it.’
Sabalenka, who has beaten Rybakina in Indian Wells and Miami since the Melbourne final, publicly played down the ranking question after her semi-final win, joking she did not care. But the team’s comments pointed in the other direction.
Her semi-final victory over American third seed Jessica Pegula was, by her own team’s assessment, her finest display in months. It came after a difficult stretch on tour in which she had squandered leads in a series of matches. At the French Open quarter-finals, she held a set and a double break against 25th seed Diana Shnaider before losing 3-6 7-5 6-0. Earlier in the clay-court season, she blew six match points against Hailey Baptiste in Madrid and let slip a first-set lead over Sorana Cirstea in Rome.
A similar lapse appeared at the Cincinnati Open, where she held a clear advantage against Sara Bejlek before losing in straight sets. High performance coach Jason Stacy said the team never panicked. ‘We all understand that this is just part of the thing,’ Stacy said. ‘We just give her space to be herself, help her figure out what might work for her right now. Giving her that freedom, but also knowing that she has the guidance of all of us, I think that just gives her a power that few are lucky enough to have.’
Rybakina, meanwhile, arrived in New York having been unable to walk for several days after turning her ankle in the Cincinnati quarter-finals. Her participation at the tournament was in doubt, yet she moved through her opening four matches without dropping a set, her serve rarely allowing opponents to settle.
Croft noted the nature of Rybakina’s preparation. ‘She wasn’t even hitting balls three weeks ago,’ she said. ‘What was interesting is that she said she worked on other things with her team and talked a lot and did a lot of work without hitting tennis balls. I presume she meant mental preparation and she has brought the freshness into this tournament.’
Sabalenka, asked about her mindset ahead of the BBC Sport-broadcast final, kept it brief. ‘Talking about Grand Slams, it feels like a last push of the season. The mentality is just “I’m ready”. I’m ready for whatever it’s going to take to get the win.’ The WTA season’s final Grand Slam concludes the year as it began: with Sabalenka and Rybakina facing each other in a major final.
