Sports
Kazakhstani star Elena Rybakina has clinched the US Open title, the final Grand Slam tournament of the season, held on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows with a total prize pool of $108 million. This triumph follows her victory over Belarusian star Aryna Sabalenka in the final match. The championship match, which took place early Sunday morning and lasted two hours and 21 minutes, saw Rybakina emerge victorious by two sets to one, with scores of 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. With this win, Rybakina ended Sabalenka's impressive 19-match winning streak at Flushing Meadows. Beyond securing the title, Rybakina also unseated Sabalenka from the top spot in the WTA professional tennis rankings, a feat achieved by reaching the tournament's semi-finals. This marks the first time a player from Kazakhstan has won the US Open title, and she also becomes the first player from her country to ascend to the world number one ranking, which is set to be officially released on Monday. With this accomplishment, 27-year-old Elena Rybakina claimed her maiden US Open title, making it her third major Grand Slam victory and her second of 2026, having previously defeated Sabalenka in the Australian Open last January. She also won Wimbledon in 2022. This marks her fourteenth career professional singles title. Regarding prize money, Rybakina received $5.5 million, the largest prize in Grand Slam history, while Sabalenka earned $2.8 million. Meanwhile, 28-year-old Aryna Sabalenka had been aiming to achieve a historic milestone by becoming the first player to win the Flushing Meadows title three consecutive times since American legend Serena Williams accomplished it between 2012 and 2014.
