Skip to main content

Beta testing. Real payments work with crypto only. Card payments (Stripe) are test-only for now.

Back to news
Tennis
1 min read

Elena Rybakina’s Emotional Reaction After Defeating Sabalenka in US Open Final

Elena Rybakina struggled to find the words after defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open final, describing her historic victory as “incredible” after years of disappointment in New York.
Elena Rybakina’s Emotional Reaction After Defeating Sabalenka in US Open Final

Elena Rybakina was overcome with emotion after securing her first US Open women’s singles title, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in a dramatic final at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

From one great champion to another 🤝

Speaking after the victory, the Kazakhstani star admitted that she never expected to go all the way at this year’s tournament, particularly after dealing with an injury.

“It’s tough to find words right now. I didn’t expect anything like this coming to this tournament,” Rybakina said.

Rybakina praised Sabalenka for her fighting spirit and acknowledged how difficult it was to face the two-time defending champion.

“Aryna, you’re a great champion. It’s so difficult to play you. You push to such a limit.”

The new US Open champion also revealed that she had doubts during the match but continued fighting for every point.

“I was doubting on the court and trying to get to all the possible balls.”

Rybakina then turned her attention to her opponent’s team, congratulating them on their achievements and praising their work.

The triumph carried even greater significance for Rybakina because of her long history at the US Open. She revealed that she had been coming to New York for the past decade without getting close to winning the tournament.

“I was coming here for the last ten years and was never successful. Nothing close to that. It’s just incredible.”

The victory has now given Rybakina unforgettable memories in New York, with the Grand Slam champion saying she is “falling in love with New York more and more.”Her emotional reaction perfectly captured the significance of a breakthrough that had been years in the making.

Comments0

Your sport, all in one place

Tennis

Follow the stories, and hear of new ones in your feed and notifications.

Picks to explore

All Tennis picks

About this story and its source

Who published the story, when it came out, and where to read more.

It was published on September 13, 2026 and last updated on October 9, 2026. The time of the story is shown in your own time zone on the page.

Open the Tennis news for more stories, or see the matches with analyst picks and the list of analysts to compare their records before you buy a pick.