Press releases

12 Sep 2026

Sabalenka, Rybakina to battle for US Open title

An archive photo

MINSK, 12 September (BelTA) – The final Grand Slam tennis tournament of the season, the US Open, is nearing its conclusion in New York, BelTA has learned.

The women’s singles final will see defending champion Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka face Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina. Sabalenka leads their head-to-head record 10-7 across 17 previous meetings. If successful today, the Belarusian will complete a historic US Open “three-peat,” capturing her 24th WTA singles title and fifth major overall, adding to her two Australian Open and two US Open trophies. Meanwhile, Elena Rybakina has 13 career titles to her name but has never reached the US Open final before. Notably, she beat Sabalenka in the final of this year’s first Grand Slam at the Australian Open, turning the tables after her 2023 loss. Rybakina also claimed the Wimbledon crown in 2022. Sabalenka enters the match as the reigning World No. 1, but Rybakina has already guaranteed her ascent to the top spot in the WTA rankings on 14 September, no matter who wins tonight.

En route to tonight’s final, Aryna Sabalenka kicked off her campaign by beating Colombia’s Camila Osorio (No. 59) 6-2, 6-4, and then cruised past Russia’s Polina Iatcenko (No. 160) 6-1, 6-1. The top seed then dispatched Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova (No. 92) 6-3, 6-4, and American Taylor Townsend (No. 96) 6-4, 6-3. In the final stages, she edged Czechia’s Linda Noskova in a thrilling 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 7-6 (10-7) battle, before sealing her final spot with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over world No. 3 Jessica Pegula of the United States.

This marks Aryna Sabalenka’s fourth appearance in the final of the American Major, having reached three straight finals previously. After a runner-up finish to Coco Gauff in 2023, she bounced back to claim the title in the next two editions by defeating fellow Americans Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova. Back in 2019, Sabalenka also tasted US Open success in doubles, lifting the trophy alongside Belgium’s Elise Mertens after overcoming the Belarusian-Australian duo of Victoria Azarenka and Ashleigh Barty. In singles, Victoria Azarenka is a three-time US Open finalist (2012, 2013, 2020), though she finished as the runner-up on all three occasions.

The final Grand Slam of the season is set to wrap up in New York on 13 September. The 2026 US Open features a record-breaking total purse of $108 million. The men’s and women’s singles champions will pocket $5.5 million each for lifting the trophy, while the finalists will take home $2.8 million. The 2025 men’s singles title was claimed by Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz.



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