Elena Rybakina has won the 2026 US Open, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the women’s singles final at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Final Score

Rybakina won 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, needing three sets to get past the two-time defending champion. She took the opening set, Sabalenka fought back to level things in the second, and Rybakina closed out the match in the decider, sealing it with an ace.

Runner-Up

Aryna Sabalenka finished as runner-up. The result ends her bid to become just the third woman in the Open Era to win three straight US Open titles, a feat previously achieved only by Chris Evert and Serena Williams. It also caps off a difficult Grand Slam season for Sabalenka, who lost both hard court major finals this year to Rybakina and exited before the semifinals at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

What This Means

This is Rybakina’s third career Grand Slam title and her first at the US Open. She had already secured the world No. 1 ranking earlier in the week by reaching the semifinals, so the trophy caps off a remarkable two weeks in New York. It was the first US Open final contested by the top two seeds since 2013.

Who Was Favored Before the Match

Sabalenka entered the final as the clear betting favorite across most markets. Kalshi traders priced her at 58% to win, while sportsbooks had her around -145 on the moneyline, with Rybakina the underdog near +119. The reasoning: Sabalenka held a 10-7 head to head edge over their 17 previous meetings and had cruised through most of the tournament in straight sets. Despite trailing in the markets, Rybakina got the job done.

WTA Top 5 After the US Open (ranking effective Monday, September 14, 2026)

1. Elena Rybakina – 9201 pts (+1060). New world No. 1 for the first time in her career, and the first player from Kazakhstan to top the rankings.

2. Aryna Sabalenka – 7875 pts (-700). Drops after nearly two years at No. 1.

3. Jessica Pegula – 7265 pts (unchanged).

4. Coco Gauff – 7244 pts (+540). Just behind Pegula after her semifinal run.

5. Mirra Andreeva – 5743 pts (+300).

Men’s Side Still to Come – check

The women’s draw has crowned its champion, but the men’s final is happening today, Sunday, September 13, at 2:00 PM ET.

🎾 Ben Shelton vs Alexander Zverev – click to see the prediction

Shelton is chasing history, he would become the first American man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick in 2003. Zverev, the French Open champion, leads their head to head 5-0 and is playing in his third straight major final.

Check out our full breakdown of the men’s final and find out who takes home the title.