Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka are set on a collision course in the US Open final.
Sabalenka swept aside Jessica Pegula in straight sets to reach her third consecutive final at Flushing Meadows, while Rybakina toppled Coco Gauff in three sets.
The pair have been intrinsically linked this year as the top two ranked players on the WTA Tour and Rybakina ousted Sabalenka from the world No 1 spot by reaching the semi finals of the US Open.
Their final match is arguably the most anticipated WTA Tour match since their last Grand Slam meeting, when Rybakina beat Sabalenka in the Australian Open final.
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Speaking in her post-match press conference after defeating Gauff, Rybakina unveiled what she must do if she wants to be Sabalenka in the final.
“I’ll need to bring my best serve and make the right decisions in the right moment,” said Rybakina. “Most of the time it’s tight scores. This is where the decision makes a difference.”
Rybakina is statistically the best server on the WTA Tour and it is undoubtedly her biggest weapon.
The star has hit 357 aces this season already, which is more than anyone else on the WTA Tour. That’s over 100 more than Sabalenka has managed so far this year.
Rybakina has won 63.8% of her service points this season, which puts her second for players on the WTA Tour. The player above her? Well that would be Sabalenka.
Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina’s route to the US Open final
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- Aryna Sabalenka: Camila Osorio, Polina Iatcenko, Kamilla Rakhimova, Taylor Townsend, Linda Noskova, and Jessica Pegula.
- Elena Rybakina: Thea Frodin, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Yuliia Starodubtseva, Naomi Osaka, Qinwen Zheng, and Coco Gauff.
The pair are also locked on service games won, with an incredible 81.5% for both Sabalenka and Rybakina.
It’s quite clear that whoever wins the US Open final will have served the best, but it’s bound to be another epic installment in one of the best rivalries on the WTA Tour in recent memory.
The pair have met three times already this year, at the Australian Open, Indian Wells, and the Miami Open. Rybakina defeated Sabalenka in Melbourne to win the Australian Open, while Sabalenka earned revenge by winning the Sunshine Double.
Overall, Sabalenka leads her head-to-head with Rybakina with 10 victories in their 17 matches, so she will enter the clash the more confident.
However, Rybakina has two very high-profile wins in the last year, at the WTA Finals and the Australian Open, where she won both tournaments, so anything can happen in New York.
