Elena Rybakina’s ascendancy at the United States Open was clear to all and sundry. She did not simply defeat the defending champion; she ended Aryna Sabalenka’s bid for a third consecutive title at Flushing Meadows, winning the title for the first time and completing her rise to world number one. It was a result that gave substance to her development over time. She had already won Wimbledon in 2022 and the Australian Open earlier this season, but her second major title of the year represented another level of confirmation. She had previously never advanced beyond the fourth round in New York. This time, she left the tournament at the top.
That Rybakina had to go through the erstwhile pacesetter made the achievement even more significant. Sabalenka had turned the Big Apple into one of the most dependable sources of her success, claiming the previous two editions and reaching four consecutive finals. She was attempting to become the first woman since Serena Williams from 2012 to 2014 to win three straight US Open trophies. Instead, the Kazakhstani became the player to interrupt her run. The result also reinforced an increasingly interesting rivalry. The latter had beaten her in the Australian Open final earlier this year, although she still holds the advantage in their overall head-to-head record.
The final itself illustrated why Rybakina has become such a difficult opponent. Her serve and groundstrokes have always provided the foundation for her game, but power alone does not explain her emergence at the top. After taking the opening set, she surrendered the second as Sabalenka regained control and forced a deciding set. That could easily have become the turning point. Instead, she responded without allowing the change in momentum to affect her composure. She broke her opponent early in the third set and gradually reasserted control. Against the Belarusian, who can generate tremendous energy and pressure through both shot-making and emotion, she exhibited relative calmness. She did not feel the need to overpower every situation; instead, she remained sufficiently disciplined to recognize when the match was beginning to move back in her direction and take advantage of the situation.
The sense of composure is particularly relevant because Rybakina’s path to the top has not been entirely smooth. Her breakthrough at Wimbledon four years ago appeared to signal the beginning of a sustained presence among the sport’s elite, but injuries and health-related setbacks interrupted her progress. Her results in New York had also been comparatively modest, making this year’s run difficult to predict based simply on her previous record. What she demonstrated at the US Open was therefore not only the quality of her tennis, but also an ability to sustain it through the physical and psychological demands of a run at a premier stop. At 27, she now has three major championships, with only the French Open missing from a potential career Grand Slam. That possibility remains a long way from becoming reality, particularly given the different demands of clay, but it is no longer an unreasonable subject of discussion.
Rybakina’s elevation to the peak of the sport also underscores the current state of women’s tennis. Sabalenka had spent 99 consecutive weeks at the top, yet the change in leadership does not necessarily signal the beginning of another prolonged period of dominance. Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and other leading players remain capable of challenging for major titles. What now separates her as the new standard is an uncanny ability to combine considerable physical gifts with uncommon composure at the biggest moments. The ranking confirms her arrival, while the US Open title gives it greater meaning. The more difficult task begins now, with the competition having a clearer understanding that the player across the net is no longer merely a Grand Slam contender, but the benchmark by which they will increasingly be measured.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.