NEW YORK – Kazakhstani tennis player Elena Rybakina has won the US Open for the first time in her career. In the final of the New York Grand Slam tournament, she defeated Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, the defending champion from the past two years, 6:4, 5:7, 6:2. Rybakina thus concluded an exceptionally successful performance at the last Grand Slam event of the season and won her second Grand Slam title this year and her third overall in her career.
The final match offered a balanced tennis game with long rallies from the baseline. Rybakina played better in the first set, where she built up a decisive lead and took a 1:0 advantage. However, Sabalenka responded in the second set. She was able to use her strong serve and aggressive play, and after winning 7:5, she equalized the score of the match.
The deciding third set belonged to Rybakina. The Kazakh player managed to maintain her concentration, while Sabalenka started making more unforced errors. Rybakina gradually gained control of the development of the match and, after winning 6:2, she could celebrate one of the greatest achievements of her career so far. The official tournament record confirms the final result of 4:6, 7:5, 2:6 from Sabalenka's perspective.
This is Rybakina's third Grand Slam trophy. The Kazakh tennis player has previously triumphed at Wimbledon and now she has also added a victory on the hard court in New York. This season takes on extraordinary significance for her.
Sabalenka, on the other hand, failed to defend her title from the previous two years of the US Open. Nevertheless, she remained one of the most prominent players in the tournament and reached the final after defeating American tennis player Jessica Pegula. Rybakina's victory has strengthened her position among the world's elite female tennis players. Her victory in New York also confirms that the women's singles Grand Slam competitions currently have a significantly balanced level of competition.
gnews.cz - Jan Vojtěch