Elena Rybakina wins US Open, earns USD 5.5 mln in prize money
Kazakhstan’s tennis star Elena Rybakina has made history by winning the US Open 2026, defeating Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in the final and securing 5.5 million US dollars in prize money, Qazinform News Agency reports.
In the first set, Elena Rybakina won 6–4. In the second set, Sabalenka fought back, 7–5.
In the final set, Rybakina sealed the victory 6–2.
Their clash lasted for 2 hours 23 minutes.
Elena Rybakina hit 10 aces, committed 3 double faults, and converted 3 of 12 break points.
Notably, this is Elena Rybakina’s first US Open title, her third Grand Slam victory, following Wimbledon 2022 and the Australian Open 2026.
With this win, she officially rises to World No. 1 in the WTA Singles Rankings.
The match drew global attention, with celebrities like Brad Pitt, Maria Sharapova, and Jessica Alba in attendance.
Maria Sharapova personally presented the trophy to Elena Rybakina.
Earlier, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated Elena Rybakina, calling her achievement a historic milestone for Kazakhstani sport.
Elena Rybakina said she was proud to represent Kazakhstan and described the moment as “special for me and for my country.”
On the road to the title, she defeated Naomi Osaka 6–1, 6–4 in the quarterfinal, beat Coco Gauff 3–6, 6–4, 6–4 in the semifinal, and overcame Aryna Sabalenka in three sets in the final.
The official WTA rankings update will be released on September 14, confirming Rybakina as the new World No. 1.
