Aryna Sabalenka’s US Open title defense ended with more than a runner-up finish. Elena Rybakina beat her in three sets, ending Sabalenka’s bid for a three-peat in New York. The defeat left Sabalenka with a $2.7 million gap between the runner-up prize and the champion’s payout. Days later, the USTA added a $7,500 fine for racket abuse.
Sabalenka left New York without the trophy and the No. 1 ranking, while Rybakina collected her first US Open title and the record $5.5 million singles champion payout. Sabalenka’s run still included a fourth consecutive US Open final, extending one of the most notable hard-court Grand Slam streaks in the Open Era.
Sabalenka leaves New York with $2.8 million
Sabalenka earned $2.8 million as the women’s singles runner-up after losing to Rybakina 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the final. Rybakina collected $5.5 million, the largest singles champion payout in US Open history.
The difference between those two checks was $2.7 million, making the financial consequence of the final much larger than the fine itself. Sabalenka had entered the tournament as the two-time defending champion and was pursuing a third consecutive title.
The USTA had increased the total player compensation package to $108 million for the 2026 tournament. The increase included a record $5.5 million payout for each singles champion, while the first-round singles prize reached $140,000.
The $7,500 fine adds to the damage
The USTA later fined Sabalenka $7,500 for racket and equipment abuse connected to her conduct during and after the final. The penalty followed a match in which she also received a code violation for ball abuse after hitting a ball into the stands during the opening set.
After Rybakina secured the championship, Sabalenka returned to her bench and smashed her racket several times. The incident became the most visible moment of frustration in a final that had already included an on-court violation.
Sabalenka explained afterward that losing a Grand Slam final while trying to complete a three-peat made the emotions particularly difficult to control. She said she needed to release the disappointment rather than keep it inside.
Rybakina ended a remarkable US Open run
The defeat stopped Sabalenka’s 19-match winning streak at the US Open. She had won the tournament in both 2024 and 2025 before reaching the championship match again this year.
Sabalenka had also defeated Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the semifinals to reach her fourth consecutive US Open final. That victory extended her remarkable run in New York and left her one win from becoming the first woman since Serena Williams to win three straight US Open singles titles.
Her semifinal performance was particularly strong, with Sabalenka producing 29 winners and seven aces while facing only one break point. The final brought a very different challenge, as Rybakina repeatedly pressured Sabalenka’s serve and turned the match after Sabalenka claimed the second set.
Sabalenka also lost the No. 1 ranking
Rybakina’s victory carried another major consequence beyond the trophy and prize money. The Kazakh player moved to No. 1 in the WTA rankings, ending Sabalenka’s run at the top after nearly 100 weeks.
The ranking change had already been guaranteed before the final, meaning Sabalenka entered the championship match knowing the No. 1 position would change hands regardless of the result. Rybakina then completed the tournament by beating Sabalenka for the second time in a Grand Slam final in 2026.
The Australian Open final earlier this year had produced the same matchup, with Rybakina winning in Melbourne. Their New York meeting, therefore, became the second Grand Slam final between the two players in the same season.
The fine is small compared with the missed payday
Sabalenka’s $7,500 fine represents only a fraction of the $2.8 million she earned for reaching the final. The financial story is therefore less about the fine itself and more about the $2.7 million difference between finishing second and winning the championship.
The fine was also only one part of the tournament’s disciplinary picture. The 2026 US Open issued $112,500 in player fines throughout the event, covering violations including racket abuse, verbal abuse, unsportsmanlike conduct, and other breaches.
Sabalenka’s penalty was tied to her racket abuse, a violation covered by the Grand Slam code of conduct. The rule prohibits players from violently or angrily hitting, kicking, or throwing rackets or other equipment within tournament grounds.
Sabalenka also became only the sixth woman in the Open Era to reach at least four consecutive US Open singles finals, joining Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Graf and Serena Williams.
Fun fact: Aryna Sabalenka became the first player in the Open Era to reach eight consecutive Grand Slam finals on hard courts when she advanced past Pegula in New York. She surpassed the previous streak of seven, achieved by Steffi Graf, Martina Hingis and Novak Djokovic.
Rybakina leaves New York with the biggest prize
Rybakina’s 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory gave her a third Grand Slam title and her second major championship of 2026. She had also beaten Sabalenka in the Australian Open final earlier in the season.
Her US Open victory ended Sabalenka’s two-year reign in New York while also sending Rybakina to the top of the WTA rankings. The result marked a significant shift at the top of the women’s game after Sabalenka had spent much of the season carrying the No. 1 ranking.
For Sabalenka, the final combined several financial and competitive setbacks into one weekend: a $2.7 million difference from the champion’s payout, a $7,500 disciplinary fine, the loss of her US Open crown and the end of her time at No. 1. Her fourth straight final nevertheless kept her among the defining figures of the tournament’s recent era.
TL;DR
- Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the 2026 US Open final.
- Sabalenka earned $2.8 million as runner-up, while Rybakina received a record $5.5 million.
- The USTA fined Sabalenka $7,500 for racket and equipment abuse.
- Rybakina’s victory ended Sabalenka’s 19-match US Open winning streak and two-year title reign.
- Rybakina became the new WTA No. 1, ending Sabalenka’s 99-week consecutive run at the top.
- Sabalenka reached her fourth straight US Open final and became the first player in the Open Era to reach eight consecutive Grand Slam finals on hard courts.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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