Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka is bidding to become the first woman to claim a third consecutive US Open title since Serena Williams achieved the feat in 2014. Standing in her way on Saturday is incoming world No 1 Elena Rybakina, who will ascend to the summit of the rankings on Monday following her breakthrough run to the final.
Rybakina's stellar campaign this year, which began with her Australian Open triumph over Sabalenka, will bring an end to the Belarussian's 99-week reign at the top. Yet Sabalenka has the chance to reclaim some ground by defending her US Open crown against Rybakina in Saturday's Flushing Meadows showdown, broadcast live on Sky Sports Tennis from 5pm.
The final represents a historic moment for women's tennis at the US Open. This is the first US Open women's title match between the tournament's top two seeds since 2013, when Serena Williams defeated Victoria Azarenka. It is also the first time since 1994 that the Australian Open and US Open women's finals have featured the same two players.
Sabalenka's dominance in New York
Sabalenka's path through the tournament has been commanding. She dispatched Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the semi-final to reach her fourth consecutive US Open final, making her the first woman to reach four straight US Open finals since Serena Williams from 2011-14. The defending champion is now on a 19-match winning streak in New York and boasts a remarkable 36-3 record over the last five years at the tournament.
This is Sabalenka's ninth Grand Slam final appearance, and she is competing in her eighth consecutive hard-court major final. She has recorded seven top-10 victories this season and has beaten top-10 opponents in back-to-back matches at this tournament.
Since 1988, Sabalenka has become the fifth player to reach five or more Grand Slam finals as world No 1, joining an elite group that includes Steffi Graf with 20 finals, Serena Williams with 14, and Monica Seles and Martina Hingis with nine each.
Sabalenka acknowledged earlier in the tournament that she would prioritise winning a third US Open title over retaining the world No 1 ranking. Her performance coach Jason Stacy has emphasised her mental approach heading into the final.
Aryna is remembering who she is - being very, very aligned with who she is. She knows what she's capable of. She knows that playing someone like Jess on a big stage in a big moment, that she needs to step it up. She just has to show up and understand - no disrespect to anybody, is that this is her house and all the other girls are just guests, and it's time for them to go home.
Former Belarusian star Max Mirnyi, who reached a career-high world No 18, added his perspective on Sabalenka's suitability to the New York environment.
For Aryna, we can see that she has been improving as the tournament goes on. We're excited. She certainly fits well with New York. I think she fits perfectly for this environment. She likes this circumstance of being the glamour girl and having the spotlight on her, dealing with the pressures of the night sessions, and she thrives in this pressure. That's why she has been successful.
Rybakina's breakthrough moment
Rybakina earned her place in the final by rallying from a set down to defeat Coco Gauff in a thrilling semi-final. The victory sets up a final against Aryna Sabalenka and represents another step towards her third Grand Slam crown.
The Kazakh player is the first from her nation to reach world No 1 and will officially assume the top ranking on Monday. Rybakina moved to world No 1 in the live rankings by reaching the semi-finals, ending Sabalenka's 99-week reign at the summit.
The pair have met twice before in Grand Slam finals. Sabalenka defeated Rybakina in the 2023 Australian Open final, but Rybakina levelled the score at Melbourne Park in January 2026 with a remarkable comeback from 3-0 down in the third set. Saturday's final is the 18th career meeting between Sabalenka and Rybakina, with Sabalenka leading the head-to-head 10-7.
Rybakina has spoken about the significance of the final and her approach to the match.
It's an important match, and since it's a final, it's honestly, I feel like it doesn't matter who is on the other side. You just want to win and do your best. But also, I don't want to put too much pressure on myself because we are all very close in the ranking. Even if something goes wrong in the final, I still have other opportunities, other tournaments until the end of the year. We push each other when we play these matches, and you clearly can see on what you need to work more. I think that's great that you play against someone who pushes you till the limits.
Sabalenka reflects on the rankings shift
Despite losing the world No 1 position, Sabalenka has maintained perspective on her situation and the competitive nature of professional tennis.
I really understand about how tough it is to reach the world No 1. It's a lot of work and, yeah, that was one of my goals, but right now there was not much I could do. I didn't really perform well in the middle of the season. Elena took it over and played really well. But I can only focus on myself and just stay in the moment and trying to do my best right now just so I keep it tight - and maybe I will take it back from her. But, yeah, it does feel a little bit weird. You can perform well in the tournament but still lose the number one position. So it's OK. It's sport. I love that. That's the beauty of sport, right? Like, everyone chasing everyone, and it's all about little things that you improve and you get better at.
What happens next
The US Open women's singles final is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, at 4:00 p.m. local time in Arthur Ashe Stadium. The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Tennis, with coverage beginning at 5pm UK time. Viewers can also stream the action via NOW and the Sky Sports App.
