Rybakina and Sabalenka set for US Open final with world number one at stake
Elena Rybakina has reached her first US Open women’s singles final and will face defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, who is pursuing a third consecutive title.
Elena Rybakina has reached the 2026 US Open women’s singles final after defeating Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, setting up a meeting with top seed Aryna Sabalenka.
The final will also determine the next world number one. Rybakina is guaranteed to replace Sabalenka at the top of the rankings when they are updated on Monday.
Sabalenka secured her place in the final with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Jessica Pegula. The Belarusian is seeking a third consecutive US Open title and has not lost at the tournament since the 2023 final.
Rybakina, the second seed, had never progressed beyond the US Open’s fourth round before this run. The 27-year-old won Wimbledon in 2022 and the Australian Open in January, where she defeated Sabalenka in the final.
According to BBC Sport, the final will be the first US Open women’s singles championship match between the top two seeds since 2013. Sabalenka has also reached eight consecutive hard-court Grand Slam finals, while Pegula has now lost to her at the US Open in three successive years, including the 2024 final and 2025 semi-final.
