US Open Shines Spotlight on American Tennis and Rybakina’s Triumph

The US Open once again brought American tennis to the forefront. Tennis analyst Patrick McEnroe and sports personality Rich “Big Daddy” Salgado discussed the event’s major storylines, including the rebound of American tennis, forecasts for championships, and the rising influence of sports betting and celebrity culture. They also talked about the evolving experience for fans at this celebrated sporting event.

Elena Rybakina reached a significant milestone by winning her first U.S. Open title. She defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 on Saturday. Rybakina had been set to take over from Sabalenka as the No. 1 in women’s tennis world rankings. Her victory cemented her position at the top, taking the title that Sabalenka held for the past two years.

“It’s tough to find words right now, honestly,” Rybakina expressed after her win. “I didn’t expect this outcome. I’ve been dealing with some injuries, but things aligned perfectly for me.”

Rybakina celebrated the accomplishment at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens, on September 12, 2026. Earlier in the year, she had already claimed the Australian Open title by defeating Sabalenka again on a hard court in Melbourne Park.

Sabalenka entered the final with a strong 19-match winning streak at the U.S. Open. She had aimed to become the first since Serena Williams to win three consecutive titles at Flushing Meadows.

“I felt at home here and can’t wait to return next year,” Sabalenka stated, expressing a bit of disappointment. “I wish I could have played better, but I’ll try again next year.”

Saturday marked the third instance since 2000 of the top two seeds competing in the U.S. Open women’s final. It was the first time the No. 2 seed had won. Previously, Serena Williams defeated Venus Williams in 2002 and Victoria Azarenka in 2013 as the top seed.

Rybakina, who was born in Russia, now represents Kazakhstan. She aims to complete a career Grand Slam, having already won her first major title at Wimbledon in 2022. She showed resilience, especially after some initial frustration in the third set, to take control of the match.

Sabalenka had previously won their other encounters in 2026 on hard courts at Indian Wells and Miami. Their overall rivalry now stands at 10-8 in Sabalenka’s favor.

Elsewhere in the tournament, American player Ben Shelton faced Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the men’s singles final.