Ranking Loss Adds Extra Fire to Sabalenka's US Open Final Against Rybakina
Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina meet in Saturday's US Open final, with Rybakina already guaranteed to reclaim the world number one ranking regardless of the result. Sabalenka is chasing a shot at revenge and a rare piece of tournament history.
Saturday's US Open women's final pits defending champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus against Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, in a match already notable for what has happened off the court: Rybakina has secured the world number one ranking by reaching the semi-finals, ending Sabalenka's 99-week run at the top regardless of Saturday's outcome.
The two have met three times already this year. Rybakina beat Sabalenka in the Australian Open final, but Sabalenka answered with wins over her in Indian Wells and Miami.
Former British number one Annabel Croft, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, said losing the top ranking would act like a "red rag to a bull" for Sabalenka, giving her extra motivation heading into the final. Sabalenka's coach Anton Dubrov echoed that sentiment, saying the resolution of the ranking question removes a mental burden and adds fresh fuel for the chase ahead.
Sabalenka arrived in New York as the two-time defending champion but with visible cracks in her game. Over the past five months she had squandered strong positions against lower-ranked opponents, including a collapse from a big lead in the French Open quarter-finals and a straight-sets loss despite leading in Cincinnati. Her semi-final win over American Jessica Pegula, however, was described as her best performance in months.
Rybakina, too, entered the tournament under a cloud, having rolled her ankle in the Cincinnati quarter-finals and struggled to walk for days afterward. Despite that, she breezed through her first four matches on the strength of her serve and beat both China's Zheng Qinwen and home favourite Coco Gauff in the later rounds.
By overcoming their respective doubts, both players have reaffirmed their status as the WTA Tour's standout performers this season. For Sabalenka, victory would make her only the third woman in the Open era to win three consecutive US Open singles titles.
