NEW YORK — Aryna Sabalenka will face Elena Rybakina in Saturday's US Open women's final with history and the world No. 1 ranking on the line at Flushing Meadows. Rybakina is assured of replacing Sabalenka at the top of the rankings after reaching the semi-finals, ending the Belarusian's 99-week stay at No. 1, while Sabalenka is bidding to become the first woman to win three consecutive US Open singles titles since Serena Williams from 2012-14 and only the third woman in the Open era to achieve the feat.
The final is the pair's fourth meeting of the year. Rybakina beat Sabalenka 6-4 4-6 6-4 in the Australian Open final after fighting back from 3-0 down in the deciding set, while the four-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka responded with victories over the Kazakh in Indian Wells and Miami. "It is going to be red rag to a bull for her - she is not going to be happy," said former British number one Annabel Croft on BBC Radio 5 Live. "Now she has the opportunity to end this year on a high." Sabalenka's coach Anton Dubrov said losing the ranking has provided clarity: "I actually like this [losing the ranking] happened. It's ended and it's extra fuel," Dubrov said. "There is no more extra draining [of mental energy] 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, 28, arrived in New York as the two-time defending champion but with questions over form and mindset after a run of defeats from strong positions over the past five months. She held a set and double break lead against 25th seed Diana Shnaider before losing 3-6 7-5 6-0 in the French Open quarter-finals, blew six match points against Hailey Baptiste in Madrid, let slip a first-set lead over Sorana Cirstea in Rome, and held clear advantages against 20-year-old Czech Sara Bejlek before losing in straight sets at the Cincinnati Open. Her semi-final victory over American third seed Jessica Pegula was her finest display in months. "We all understand that this is just part of the thing," said high performance coach Jason Stacy. "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, the 27-year-old 2022 Wimbledon champion and two-time major champion, also entered the tournament with doubts after turning her ankle during the Cincinnati quarter-finals and being unable to walk for several days. The injury put her participation in jeopardy, but she cruised through her opening four matches behind a dominant service game and then showed durability in baseline exchanges to beat China's Zheng Qinwen and home favourite Coco Gauff. "She wasn't even hitting balls three weeks ago," Croft 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."
By overcoming those concerns, the two have underlined their status as the standout players on the WTA Tour and will close the Grand Slam season as they began it in Melbourne. Sabalenka, who is aiming for her first major title of 2026, said the focus is clear. "Talking about Grand Slams, it feels like a last push of the season," Sabalenka added. "The mentality is just 'I'm ready'. I'm ready for whatever it's going to take to get the win."