Elena Rybakina knows how to stop Arna Sabalenka's quest for hattrick of US Open titles; ‘We know each other pretty well’

It's a battle between the top two ranked players in the world in the final of the US Open 2026 women's singles as Elena Rybakina take on current world.1 Aryna Sabalenka at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. While Kazakh Rybakina is aiming for her maiden US Open title, Sabalenka will be chasing her fifth major and a third straight US Open crown.

No doubt, the contest will tough for both the players. Rybakina, who will be crowned the world no.1 on Monday, irrespective of the result in the final, knows exactly what she needs to do to deny Sabalenka from becoming the third woman after Chris Evert and Serena Williams to register a hattrick of US Open titles. Sabalenka had won the US Open in 2024 and 2025

Just hours before the much-anticipated women's singles final, Rybakina knows that staying on top of the rallies will help the Kazakh. “I need to fight no matter how I'm going to feel on that day and give my best. We know each other pretty well and have played so many times against each other," Rybakina tokd JioStar in an interview.

"Yeah, just try to stay aggressive in important moments, not wait for her to dictate the point, and try to stay on top of the rallies.” It will be the 18th meeting between the two players, with Sabalenka currently leading the head-to-head record 10-7. It is also the first US Open women’s singles final between the top two seeds in 13 years.

Elena Rybakina's unsure start initially

Rybakina booked her place in the final with a comeback victory over 2023 US Open champion Coco Gauff, recovering from a set down to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. The road to the final has not been straightforward for Rybakina as the 27-year-old revealed that she was uncertain whether she would even be able to compete in New York because of concerns over her foot.

“I wasn't 100 per cent sure if I was going to be able to even play this tournament. In the first few matches, I was thinking about my foot and how it was actually going to react. I was not that comfortable playing the first few matches. Then, slowly, my focus moved towards what I was doing wrong on the court and what I needed to improve," she added.

"Slowly I found my way. There were also some very difficult opponents and great matches. I feel like something is definitely going my way, and I hope that on finals day, I can do my best and that it also brings me success.”

That resilience has been particularly evident in the latter stages of her campaign. Rybakina was pushed into three sets in both her quarter-final and semi-final, forcing her to dig deep physically and mentally. “During the match, I was telling myself that I had not been practising for a week before the tournament," stated Rybakina, who won two Grand Slams so far.

What matters for Elena Rybikina?

For Rybakina, opponent doesn't matter, but whether he serve is working or not is crucial. "No matter who's on the other side, if my serve is working, it's already a big plus in my game and a big advantage. So yeah, I was just pushing myself mentally and physically,” added Rybakina.

Sabalenka, on the other hand, arrives in the final after producing one of her most impressive performances of the tournament, defeating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the semi-finals. The win sent her into a fourth consecutive final in New York, the first player to do so since Serena Williams from 2012 to 2014.

The stakes, therefore, could hardly be higher. Sabalenka is chasing history in New York, while Rybakina is looking to add the US Open trophy to her Australian Open title and complete her rise to the top of the rankings.