On Saturday, the women’s world No.1 will take on the player who will shortly dethrone her from that position in the US Open final.
Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will take on Elena Rybakina for the title in New York. The Belarusian secured her place in the final after downing Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2, in exactly 80 minutes without dropping her serve. It is the fourth year in a row that she has reached the title match at Flushing Meadows and is a win away from becoming the first woman in over a decade to win three consecutive titles at the event.
“I wanted it so badly,” Sabalenka said of her latest win. “I lost a tough match on grass against Jess, and I wasn’t really performing well in the middle part of the season.
“So it kind of feels for me, talking about Grand Slams, like a last push of the season. I wanted it badly to go to the finals, and, of course, I want to go all the way.
“The mentality was just I’m ready. I’m ready for whatever it’s going to take to get the win.”
Rybakina’s route to the final was trickier, with the Kazakh having to come from behind to defeat Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. It is the first time she has defeated a top-10 player at a Grand Slam after losing the first set since 2022, when she did so against Ons Jabeur. Rybakina has also become the second woman in the Open era to defeat a former champion at every major event after Williams.
“It was a great match,” said Rybakina. “A lot of people wanted Coco to win. It’s normal.
“In the beginning I felt like it was a very nice atmosphere, and only in the end, when I was up in the third set, did the crowd really support Coco a lot. But I tried to focus on myself and tried not to listen.
“I feel like for me it was also my first match on Ashe at night. I enjoyed the atmosphere even if the crowd mostly was for Coco.”
The wins have now set up a showdown between the two highest-ranked female players in the world. Whoever is victorious will earn a record paycheck of $5.5 million, as well as 2000 ranking points. Ahead of the clash, here are four things to know.
How they have reached the final
Sabalenka
First round: def. Camila Osorio 6-2, 6-4
Second round: def. [Q] Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1
Third round: def. Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4
Fourth round: def. Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-3
Quarterfinal: def. [6] Linda Noskova 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6[7]
Semifinal: def. [3] Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2
Rybakina
First round: def. [WC]Thea Frodin 6-3, 6-2
Second round: def. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-2, 6-4
Third round: def. Yuliia Starodubtseva 7-6(6), 6-3
Fourth round: def. [13] Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-4
Quarterfinal: def. [Q] Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
Semifinal: def. [4] Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
The rivalry
Sabalenka has the edge in their head-to-head. She currently leads 10-7 and has won two of their three meetings this season. However, Rybakina won their previous clash in a major final at the Australian Open in January.
10 of their previous meetings have gone to three sets, with Sabalenka winning eight of those. However, in their last four matches that have gone the distance, they are level at 2-2.
Whoever gets off to a good start could be crucial, with 14 of their past 17 meetings being won by the player who has won the first set. Furthermore, Rybakina has never defeated Sabalenka from a set down. In contrast, Sabalenka has done so at the 2023 Australian Open, 2024 Madrid Open and 2026 BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells).
Sabalenka vs Rybakina — head-to-head
What have they said about each other?
During their press conferences on Thursday, both players shared their views about each other and the challenges they face on the court. At the time of speaking, Sabalenka didn’t know who her opponent in the final would be.
“It’s going to be a really tough match. She’s a big server. She really improved over the years on the baseline game, so it’s going to be a physically and mentally tough match,” she said.
“I’m ready for the fight. I’m ready to do everything to get the win, so I’m excited for that match.”
Rybakina believes their clash will be mentally and physically tough when they take to the court.
“She’s (Sabalenka) a very aggressive player. It’s difficult to play with her, mentally, physically, because she has a big game, big serve,” Rybakina commented.
“I will need to come with all the energy I will have, bring my best serve against Aryna and, yeah, make the right decisions at the right moment, because most of the time it’s a tight score. This is where the decision makes a difference.”
A rare top two showdown
For the first time since 2013, the top two seeds are contesting a US Open women’s final. It is also the first time since 1994 that both the Australian Open and US Open finals will feature the same players in the same year.
