The best rivalry in women’s tennis: Celebs in the stands as new world No.1 thwarts Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka spent the past few months bristling each time her status as the best player on the planet was questioned.

What she could always fall back on was to point at her No.1 ranking.

Not only can Sabalenka no longer do that, but the rival who will replace her – Elena Rybakina – also snatched her US Open crown on Sunday (AEST) and prevented her from matching Serena Williams’ championship three-peat from 2012-14.

Rybakina clinched the No.1 ranking for the first time when she reached her first semi-final in New York on Tuesday.

But that magical milestone will be even sweeter after the red-hot Kazakh defeated Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in a spectacular final that enthralled a celebrity-laced Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd, featuring the likes of Brad Pitt, Pink and Spike Lee and tennis greats Billie Jean King, Maria Sharapova and Jennifer Capriati.

“It’s tough to find words right now. I didn’t expect anything like this coming to this tournament,” Rybakina said.

“I’ve been dealing a little bit with injury, but somehow, everything aligned together on my side. Aryna, you are a great champion. It’s so difficult to play against you. You push to such a limit.

“I honestly was coming here for last 10 years, and it was never successful – nothing close to that – and it’s just incredible, and I’m falling in love with New York, more and more, and it’s an amazing memory for me.”

Sabalenka capped a tempestuous display by tossing her racquet away in disgust after losing. She cut a tearful and devastated figure post-match.

“The last thing I want to do right now is give a speech, but I’ll try my very best,” Sabalenka said.

“Obviously, I’m disappointed, but I want to congratulate Elena on an incredible year and incredible results, and [the title is] well deserved … I wish I could perform a little bit better, but I guess next year.”

Rybakina’s victory delivered her a third grand slam title, to go with her 2022 Wimbledon and 2026 Australian Open triumphs – and draws her within one of Sabalenka’s career major tally.

She was in significant doubt to even play the US Open after retiring from the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals with a left heel tendon and ankle injury.

The 27-year-old, who sent down her 12th ace on championship point for her 36th overall winner, kick-started her career-defining season by edging out Sabalenka in three sets in the Australian Open final in January, after also beating her great rival in last year’s WTA Finals.

The best rivalry in women’s tennis also tightened to 10-8 in Sabalenka’s favour, while Rybakina’s US Open win heightened her chances of ending Sabalenka’s two-year reign as the year-end No.1.

Sabalenka had already matched Williams’ extraordinary feat of reaching four consecutive US Open women’s singles finals, but fell short of a title three-peat. Her loss also means she failed to capture at least one grand slam title in a calendar year for the first time since 2022.

Part of what makes the Rybakina-Sabalenka showdowns so fascinating is their wildly contrasting personalities.

Rybakina has succeeded Sharapova as the WTA Tour’s definitive ice queen, whereas the always-fiery and effusive Sabalenka angrily belted one of the tournament’s Wilson balls into the stands after double-faulting to concede the final’s opening break in the fifth game.

That action earned her a code violation, and she was fortunate to escape further trouble two games later.

After spraying a forehand wide to go down another break point, Sabalenka swatted the ball away and made contact with the nearby cameraman’s equipment.

Rybakina’s usually devastating first serve was malfunctioning, but she was otherwise almost flawless to that stage. She committed her first unforced error in that game, in which Sabalenka eventually held serve.

But Rybakina defied making south of 30 per cent of her first serves to go up a set.

A key moment came at 1-1 in the second set, when Sabalenka faced, but saved, two more break points – tossing her racquet away in dismay before the first of them.

She slowly started looking more like her fearsome self, the one who overpowered American Jessica Pegula with a brilliant and sustained display of power-hitting in the semi-finals. Sabalenka’s service games were suddenly stress-free, and she was able to place more pressure on Rybakina.

Finally, Sabalenka brought up break points on Rybakina’s serve, which doubled as set points in the 10th game, but the steely Kazakh hung tough to grit out a hold.

But Rybakina could not do so two games later, with an increasingly animated and audible – but also more composed – Sabalenka hammering a backhand return to secure the second set.

Remarkably, both players had won 71 points by then. Another twist followed.

Sabalenka brushed off a break point to go 1-0 up, after which she let out a satisfied shriek, but her ecstasy did not last long. She lost balance and misfired on a backhand at 1-1 to go 15-40 down before furiously bouncing her racquet, which she immediately replaced, but again avoided sanction.

Sabalenka staved off one with a thunderous backhand winner, but flayed a forehand long on the next break point.

It was the type of moment when Sabalenka, if she was on the other side of the net, would have exploded with positive emotion. Rybakina offered a gentle fist pump.

There was no fightback to come, with Rybakina adding a security break with a sublime point that she finished with a tidy put-away volley to scorch to a 5-2 lead.

Unlike in the semi-finals against 2024 champion Coco Gauff, Rybakina served the match out with little fuss to cement herself as one of the modern greats.