US Open 2026 Live Updates, Latest Results, Highlights and Schedule for Women's Finals

Rybakina had two double-faults in her final service game, but she still held to 30, finishing the match off with an ace.

It's Rybakina's first U.S. Open title and her third major overall.

For Sabalenka, it concludes a disappointing Grand Slam season. She lost both of her finals to Rybakina and lost before the semis at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

Rybakina had a tremendous tactical decision on break point, forcing Sabalenka to hit a chip backhand and then going to the net for a volley finish.

Sabalenka seems to be struggling a bit physically as well, which makes a comeback seem even less likely than it already would be when Rybakina has a two-break lead.

She'll serve for the match momentarily.

Rybakina got off to a good start with two perfectly played points, and then Sabalenka gifted her the next two points with errors for a love hold.

Sabalenka was down 15-30, but she dug herself out of that hole with some clutch serving.

Now she needs to find a break soon to get back on serve.

A new racket did not, in fact, help Sabalenka, as she had some wild misses in that game.

She has to find her rhythm again fast.

Sabalenka got quite unlucky at 15-30, as Rybakina hit two consecutive high lob-like shots that landed on the baseline. Sabalenka ended up netting a backhand, and she immediately changed rackets.

Rybakina went on to break from a Sabalenka error.

Sabalenka changed rackets in the third set against Noskova mid-game, and after doing so she went on a heater that allowed to come back from a break down. We'll see if the racket change helps her this time.

Rybakina holds at love, finishing the game with an ace. If her knee or quad is bothering her, it was hard to tell there.

Rybakina created a break-point chance, and she got a short second serve to attack on her backhand. But she missed it, and Sabalenka held from there.

The ESPN announcers noticed that Rybakina was flexing her knee or quad a bit between points. That's something we'll have to keep an eye on.

Another very tight match between these two.

As Jose Morgado writes, Rybakina will end Sabalenka's 99-week reign as world No. 1 regardless of the outcome of this match. But I can guarantee that these players couldn't care less about that as we start the third set of this final.

Sabalenka hit an incredible drop shot winner to get it to 30-30, but Rybakina answered with a huge first serve.

Then Sabalenka passed Rybakina with a cross-court winner, and a Rybakina error gave her a set-point chance.

Sabalenka took advantage of short second serve by blasting a backhand up the line that Rybakina couldn't get back.

Sabalenka faced a heap of pressure down 15-30, but she responded by winning two points in which she had play a little bit of defense.

Though it was an extended game that went to deuce multiple times, Sabalenka never faced a break point.

Sabalenka hit a stunning backhand return winner to set up her first two break-point opportunities of the match.

Rybakina fought them both off with a little help from a Sabalenka unforced error on a routine forehand at 15-40.

Rybakina held from there.

A love hold for Sabalenka, who hasn't faced any pressure on her serve since the third game of this set.

Rybakina has won 13 of the 14 points in this set when she's made her first serve.

Sabalenka had the most impressive shot of the game—a forehand cross-court winner. But Rybakina is controlling her service games with big serves and first-ball offense.

Sabalenka's ball striking is getting better and better. It feels like some awesome extended rallies are coming.

At 15-15, Rybakina caught a break when Sabalenka netted a swinging backhand volley.

Sabalenka is playing better from the baseline, but Rybakina is also serving better, which isn't allowing Sabalenka to get break-point looks.

At 30-15, Sabalenka showed off her athleticism by getting to a Rybakina drop shot and flicking it with more pace than Rybakina was expecting, inducing an error.

That allowed Sabalenka to share a rare smile with the crowd.

She followed that up with a drop-shot winner.

Could that be the sequence that leads to her best tennis?

Rybakina's first serve is coming alive. She finished that game off with an ace.

It feels like Rybakina is playing at a higher level right now, but Sabalenka can flip the switch at any moment.

At 30-15, Sabalenka once again forced Rybakina out wide, but Rybakina defended well to win the point. Sabalenka looked to her box like it was their fault her strategy wasn't working.

Rybakina got a break-point look at 30-40 but missed a backhand return.

She got a second chance, but Sabalenka fought it off with an inside-out forehand.

Sabalenka won the next two points for a big hold.

Rybakina made four out of her six first serves that game, which normally wouldn't be noteworthy. If she can get her first serve going, she'll be firing on all cylinders.

She held at 30.

Sabalenka holds to 30. The most encouraging part of that service game for Sabalenka was the first point. She won an extended rally. Rybakina has been winning most of the extended rallies to this point.

Watching Rybakina hold all five service games without getting much of anything from her first serve felt like a Houdini act.

At 30-30, Sabalenka missed a rally-ball forehand.

That gave Rybakina a set point, which Sabalenka fought off with two-forehand combo that was indefensible.

At deuce, Rybakina won the best point of the match. It was a rare extended rally that ended in a backhand winner up the line.

That gave Rybakina another set point, which she sealed with a Sabalenka error.

At 15-15, Sabalenka hit a half-volley winner that the crowd loved. Perhaps that will get her going. She held at 15, and now Rybakina will serve for the set.

Sabalenka had a look at a backhand at 30-30, but she pulled it wide for her 11th unforced error of the set. At deuce, she had a look at a second serve, but she netted a backhand for another error.

Rybakina's first-serve percentage is just 36 percent, but she's defending her second serve extremely well, as Brad Gilbert pointed out:

At 30-30, Sabalenka had a wild forehand miss, but she recovered with a forehand winner on break point.

She won the next two points.

Note that Sabalenka was down 4-2 in the final set in the quarters against Linda Noskova. She played great tennis from there to win that match. She's capable of turning any set around.

Sabalenka got a ball abuse warning after the double-fault in the last game because she hit a ball into the crowd. For what it's worth, she didn't blast it in a dangerous way, but all the same, it was a fair warning.

Anyway, she didn't seem totally locked in during Rybakina's service game, and Rybakina took advantage with a love hold.

Sabalenka had been flirting with danger in her last service game, as two of her second serves landed on the line. This time, facing another break point, she double-faulted, giving the first break of the match to Rybakina.

On the 30-30 point, Sabalenka hit a deep shot to Rybakina's backhand, and Rybakina responded with a great defensive angled shot that led to a Sabalenka error. Sabalenka looked frustrated, seemingly not believing that Rybakina is capable of that kind of defense.

Rybakina faced a 15-30 deficit but then hit two aces. In all, she hit three aces in the game. She held at 30.

At 15-30, Rybakina hit a stunning backhand cross-court passing shot. That set up two break-point opportunities, but Sabalenka erased them both, including hitting a huge forehand winner.

At deuce, Sabalenka double-faulted, but then she fought off another break point with a drop shot at the net.

She won the next two points from there to hold.

Rybakina holds at love. Rybakina seemed totally comfortable already. We'll see if Sabalenka can settle in soon.

Rybakina is striking the backhand well, including hitting a cross-court winner. But Sabalenka holds to 30 with a great backhand drop shot.

Christopher Clarey thinks this is the best rivalry in women's tennis, and I agree:

This is their third meeting in Grand Slam final. Sabalenka won the first at the 2023 Australian Open, and Rybakina won the second at the 2026 Australian Open final. Both went three sets.