Sabalenka And Rybakina Set For US Open Final Rematch At Flushing Meadows

Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina will meet in the US Open final at Flushing Meadows in a rematch of the 2026 Australian Open title showdown, with Sabalenka seeking a three-peat in New York and Rybakina targeting a second major and the No. 1 ranking.

“Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, powered past Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the semi-finals”

Telangana Today

Sabalenka booked her spot with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Jessica Pegula, while Rybakina reached her first US Open final by rallying from a set down to beat home favourite Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Al Jazeera

The matchup also carries a ranking consequence, because Rybakina needed to reach the semi-finals to guarantee she would replace Sabalenka at the summit of the WTA Rankings next week, ending Sabalenka’s 99-week reign as No. 1.

In New York, Sabalenka heads into the championship clash with a 20-match unbeaten run at the US Open dating back to 2024, while Rybakina’s campaign included a victory over Naomi Osaka and comeback wins against Qinwen Zheng and Gauff.

Rybakina’s left ankle problem suffered in Cincinnati cast doubt over her participation, but she responded with a run that set up the final against Sabalenka at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Ahead of the final, Sabalenka framed the moment as a last push, telling reporters on Thursday, "I wanted it badly, to go to the final, and of course I want to go all the way."

Rybakina, meanwhile, said she would not put extra pressure on herself before the showdown, saying, "I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself, because we’re very close in the rankings."

BBC

In the semifinals, Sabalenka advanced with a dominant 7-5, 6-2 win over Pegula, and Rybakina silenced the partisan crowd by beating Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

The Guardian also highlighted the rivalry’s back-and-forth, quoting Sabalenka’s grin after Rybakina’s Indian Wells speech and recording Sabalenka saying, "I will make sure it is the last time," before Rybakina replied, "No. TNo, no, no. We’ll see next time."

The ESPN report described the No. 1 context as Rybakina taking over the top spot after Sabalenka’s 99 consecutive weeks, while still making the US Open trophy the focus for Sabalenka’s three-peat bid.

The final is set for Saturday (12 September) at 16:00 local time (EDT, UTC-4) at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where Sabalenka is the incumbent world No. 1 and Rybakina is the second seed.

“clash in the women’s singles final on Saturday, as two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka takes on soon-to-be world No. 1 Elena Rybakina”

Al Jazeera

Sabalenka can become the first woman to win three consecutive US Open women’s singles titles since Serena Williams in 2012-14, while Rybakina can add a second major of the season and begin her reign as World No. 1 with the biggest prize of all.

The stakes extend beyond the trophy because Rybakina’s quarter-final victory over Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen confirmed her ascent to No. 1 when the updated WTA rankings are published on Monday, ending Sabalenka’s 99-week streak at the top.

The Guardian noted that this will be their 18th meeting, with Sabalenka holding a 10-7 lead, and their third grand slam final, after Sabalenka won the 2023 Australian Open and Rybakina won the 2026 Australian Open.T

With both players arriving after hard-court runs, the Al Jazeera preview framed the clash as a chance for Sabalenka to complete a rare “three-peat” of US Open titles, while Rybakina tries to deny the circuit’s current boss a third consecutive title in New York.