NEW YORK – Aryna Sabalenka wrapped up in New York two weeks ago as the No. 1 player. in the world and two-time defending US Open champion. In the course of those two weeks leading up to Saturday’s final, Elena Rybakina Sabalenka’s No. 1 ranking, he stopped his US Open run, and reduced it to nothing, netting a fury. Not bad for a fortnight’s work, not bad for another chapter in which the best competition in women’s tennis unfolds.
Sabalenka and Rybakina are two of the best players in women’s tennis right now, and their US Open final match — which ended with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory for Rybakina — was always going to be a tough, strong battle. But in the course of three sentences, Rybakina turned Sabalenka’s greatest asset, her burning power against her, encircling Sabalenka from all sides and, at the end of the contest, suffocating all hope.
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“I feel like the match itself was so close, and I also went first early and then it became a little easier to get into the race, to be aggressive,” Rybakina said later. “And then in the second … I feel like she just played more aggressively in so many moments and just went for the shots. I had some small opportunities, made a couple of errors. But then in the third set I said I can still do it. I need to focus on my serve and just take a little more risk when I have the chance.”
No point is better exemplified than the one that was tied 15-15 in the fourth game of the last game. Already on the break, Rybakina gave Sabalenka nowhere to run, no room to escape, mixing high shots and low shots as Sabalenka raced away from the point — and, after a few games, she was right out of the match.
Rybakina will not overwhelm Sabalenka with dominating tennis. She didn’t make the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium with tennis artists. She simply played tireless tennis – covering up her mistakes, catching many of Sabalenka’s errors, and never letting the match get too far out of her control. That’s how you get major, you build on that foundation of a heroic career…and that’s how you get the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd on your side, too.
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“I’ve honestly been coming here for 10 years and I’ve never been happy,” Rybakina said immediately after the match. “Nothing comes close. It’s incredible. I’m falling more and more in love with New York. It’s a wonderful memory for me.” Absent star power or American status, US Open crowds tend to cheer for whoever performs well in a given match, and while Sabalenka had her favor early on, Rybakina won them at the end of the third set.
Every match is pivotal in which a player is on edge that leads to victory or defeat, and again and again on Saturday, Rybakina kept the match close enough to the point where those edges are exploited. The two points made in the last chapter are tied in chapter 71; Rybakina finished with 103 points to Sabalenka’s 90. Sabalenka landed more of her first serve — 58 percent to Rybakina’s 47 percent — but Rybakina converted more of her first serve points, 85 percent to 69 percent.
One number that is important for the emotional flow of the match: Rybakina had 24 unforced errors to Sabalenka’s 35. Those mishaps caused Sabalenka to doubt herself, lash out at herself and the coaching staff, and lose control on many occasions. After surrendering the decisive break of the fifth game of the first set, Sabalenka hit the ball into the angry crowd. That earned him admonition from the commuter seat. And after the last point, Sabalenka broke his net on the court, then continued the beating with him when he sat on his bench.
“It’s really hard to control your emotions when you’re in the final of a Grand Slam and when you’re trying to go three shots,” a gentler – but in no way apologetic – Sabalenka explained afterwards. “I just want to let it go because if I hold it inside … I can’t say a word or just go, it’s not really nice [on the court]. So I just wanted all that petulance and frustration to come out.”
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Tennis is always at its best when the rivalry is at the very top of the pyramid — Chris Evert thinks Martina Navratilova or Steffi Graf vs Monica Seles. Sabalenka vs. Rybakina – Aryna vs. Elena, if you will — has the potential to reach that level, especially if Sabalenka can capitalize on the momentum of her US Open run next season.
“It’s always the most difficult match against Aryna, and I feel like we’re pushing each other to be better after such tough battles,” Rybakina said. “You always want to try something new, change in your game to be better, and I don’t know what the future will bring, but I hope for success and some more wins.”
Sabalenka still leads the head-to-head match 10-8. And out of 11 matches that kill three, Sabalenka won eight of them. But Rybakina has now beaten Sabalenka in two Grand Slam finals this year – the US and Australian Opens – and judging from Sabalenka’s post-match expression, it’s safe to say that Rybakina has firmly taken up residence at the top.
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So Sabalenka’s reign ends, and Rybakina’s begins. Sabalenka held the title 1 No. for 99 weeks.
“Well, that’s amazing,” Sabalenka said, when told of that number, and he swelled a little with pride. “Let’s see if Elena can beat me on that one.” Then she remembered what had just happened, and walked back two steps.
“If he continues to play like this,” said Sabalenka, “then I will work.”