Rybakina defeats Sabalenka to win first US Open title!
The 27-year-old put on a strong performance in the New York final to crown herself champion.
Elena Rybakina wins the US Open for the first time in her career!
The 27-year-old defeated world number one Aryna Sabalenka in three sets, 6:4, 5:7, 6:2, in the New York final, securing her third career Grand Slam title.
Rybakina played a nearly flawless first set, struggling only with her first serve. Sabalenka, on the other hand, had significantly more difficulty finding her rhythm. With the score at 2:3, Rybakina secured the only break, taking the first set after 45 minutes.
Sabalenka Fights Her Way Back
In the second set, however, Sabalenka grew stronger and fought her way back into the final. She repeatedly demonstrated her high quality, especially on her own serve. At 5:4, she held two set points, but Rybakina fought back and managed to level the score again.
At 6:5, Sabalenka converted her third set point to level the match, sending it into a decisive third set.
Rybakina Stays Cool
The third set started perfectly for Rybakina. She secured a break to go up 2:1 in her opponent's second service game.
The 27-year-old perfectly leveraged that momentum, breaking her opponent in the very next service game as well. In the end, she served out confidently, converting her second match point with an an ace to seal a 6:4, 5:7, 6:2 victory.
