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This content was machine-translated from the French version.
The women’s US Open has a final worthy of its draw. Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina will meet on Saturday in New York after two semifinals with contrasting scripts: clinical control for the Belarusian against Jessica Pegula, resilience and a turnaround for the Kazakh against Coco Gauff. Between the quest for a third consecutive title at Flushing Meadows and Rybakina’s rise to the top of the world rankings, the occasion goes far beyond a simple power duel.
Two routes, the same obvious conclusion
The first set hung by a thread for a long time, before the defending champion accelerated when the points began to weigh more heavily than the statistics.
Sabalenka booked her place by beating Pegula 7-5, 6-2. The first set hung by a thread for a long time, before the defending champion accelerated when the points began to weigh more heavily than the statistics. The rest was clearer: more impact, fewer neutral balls, and an American forced to play too often on the defensive.
Rybakina, meanwhile, had to fight her way back. Beaten in the first set by Gauff, she eventually imposed her serve and ball length to prevail 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. The victory confirms her ability to win even without producing perfect tennis. That is often the most dangerous sign in a player of this caliber: a bad spell no longer becomes a derailment, merely a bumpy stretch.
A duel already loaded with recent history
This matchup also carries the weight of 2026. Rybakina beat Sabalenka in the Australian Open final, before Sabalenka claimed an important revenge at Indian Wells. New York therefore offers a third major chapter on hard courts this season, with two players whose weapons clearly mirror each other: first-strike tennis, a massive serve, a desire to take the center of the court and shorten rallies whenever possible.
The difference could be made in the less spectacular areas. Against Pegula, Sabalenka showed that she could raise her level on her opponent’s second serves and refuse to settle for lukewarm rallies. Rybakina, for her part, survived the pressure of a stadium behind Gauff by staying calm enough to restart the match from an uncomfortable position. The power will obviously do the talking, but managing the quiet spells may matter just as much.
Sabalenka is chasing a rare place
If she wins, Sabalenka will join a very exclusive circle of champions capable of stringing together three consecutive US Open titles in the modern era. Chris Evert and Serena Williams remain the names cited whenever that possibility arises. The comparison carries weight, but it is not artificial: in New York, Sabalenka has built a winning streak that gives her a particular authority on this court.
This context adds a different kind of pressure. Defending one title is already an exercise in balance; defending two, then playing for a third crown, turns every match into a public examination. So far, she has handled the noise around her rather well. Her tight quarterfinal against Linda Noskova tested her, while her semifinal reassured her.
Rybakina arrives with the ranking, not just momentum
Rybakina will leave the tournament as the world number one, whatever happens in the final. That detail changes how her run should be viewed: she is not merely arriving to challenge the queen of New York; she comes with the consistency of a season that has carried her all the way to the top. Her US Open has erased an old question mark over her performance at Flushing Meadows, which had long been less convincing than at the other Grand Slams.
The final will show whether this new status immediately comes with another major title. Sabalenka knows this final New York step better, while Rybakina has already proved this year that she could push it back in a Grand Slam final. It is an easy matchup to sell and a difficult one to play: two hitters, plenty of recent memory, and a trophy that will require no further explanation from the woman who lifts it.
