Sabalenka and Rybakina set for US Open final with rankings shift looming

Aryna Sabalenka will meet Elena Rybakina in Saturday’s US Open women’s singles final, with a third consecutive title and the world rankings at stake.

Rybakina is guaranteed to replace Sabalenka as world number one after reaching the semi-finals. The Kazakh defeated Sabalenka in this year’s Australian Open final, while Sabalenka has since beaten her at Indian Wells and Miami.

Sabalenka reached the final with a 7-5, 6-2 win over third seed Jessica Pegula, a performance BBC Sport described as her strongest in months. She is seeking her first Grand Slam title of 2026 and would become only the third woman in the Open era to win three consecutive US Open singles titles.

The Belarusian’s campaign follows a period in which she surrendered winning positions against Diana Shnaider, Hailey Baptiste, Sorana Cirstea and Sara Bejlek. Her coach, Anton Dubrov, said the loss of the top ranking had become “extra fuel”, while former British number one Annabel Croft described the prospect of a rematch as additional motivation.

Rybakina overcame an ankle injury sustained during the Cincinnati quarter-finals and advanced to the final after defeating Zheng Qinwen and Coco Gauff. She recovered from a set down to beat Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

The final is a repeat of the Australian Open showpiece and will determine the latest chapter in a rivalry that has produced four meetings this year. The match result has not yet been reported.