Elena Rybakina capped off a remarkable year by defeating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final to clinch her maiden US Open title, her second Grand Slam of the year, after rising to the World No. Elena Rybakina reflected on what the US Open title means to her, the physical and mental challenges she overcame, and how she found solutions throughout the tournament. Speaking in an interview shared by JioStar, Elena Rybakina weighed in on where this US Open triumph ranks in her career.
1 ranking.
“I would put this moment right at the top. So many things have happened in the past couple of weeks. Becoming the number one ranked player and now lifting this US Open trophy. I have been coming to this tournament for so many years, and it was never a successful Grand Slam for me. Now things have changed, and it is just amazing. This one means a lot to me. On being patient with her injury and her body through the tournament: “It has been very difficult. I could not practice, and I had to watch everyone else hitting and preparing for the tournament while I was sidelined. I spent almost three hours in the gym every day doing recovery exercises. It was not easy, but I knew I had to stay patient and trust the process. My team kept me motivated, and I kept telling myself that all this hard work would pay off. To be standing here with the trophy makes every difficult moment worth it. On pushing through the early rounds despite a foot injury and not feeling fully comfortable: “In the first few matches, I wasn’t sure how my foot would hold up or how I would feel on court. We made a lot of adjustments as well, so I wasn’t feeling comfortable at the start. But somehow, each day, I found a way to get through. We found a way as a team. I’m super proud of that. It shows how important it is to keep fighting even when things aren’t perfect. You just take it one match at a time and find solutions. I’m really happy with how it all worked out. She’d already assured herself of toppling Sabalenka from the number one spot just by reaching the semi-finals. “I don’t expect nothing like this coming to this tournament. I’ve been dealing with a little bit with an injury, but somehow everything aligned together on my side.”
Watch Alexander Zverev vs Ben Shelton in the US Open 2026 Men’s Singles Final today, 11:30 PM onwards, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Earlier reporting noted: Elena Rybakina is on top of the tennis world, celebrating her first US Open title and her rise to number one barely more than three weeks after she feared injury would force her out of the final Grand Slam of the year. Kazakhstan’s Rybakina beat two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 on Saturday to claim her third Grand Slam title.
“I can’t find words right now, honestly,” Rybakina said.
