Aryna Sabalenka Smashes Her Racket in Frustration After Losing US Open Final to Elena Rybakina

Emotions got the better of Aryna Sabalenka during the final of the US Open, where she played against Elena Rybakina on Saturday (September 12). The Belarusian ace was bidding to become the third woman in the Open Era to complete the hat-trick of the New York Slam after Chris Evert and Serena Williams, but she ended up losing with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 scoreline.

Sabalenka and Rybakina also competed in the final of the Australian Open this season, which made them the second pair to face off in the two hard-court Majors in the same calendar year after Steffi Graf and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 1994. Rybakina, who now holds an 8-10 head-to-head record over Sabalenka, clinched her career’s third Grand Slam title.

After smashing an ace on match point, the 27-year-old simply raised her arms with a faint smile on her face. Across the net, Sabalenka flung her racket, picked it up, shook hands with Rybakina and the chair umpire, and walked toward her bench. And while her opponent soaked in the applause from the crowd at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, Sabalenka was seen smashing her racket.

Check out the video here:

THE MOMENT ELENA RYBAKINA BECAME A US OPEN CHAMPION AND WON HER 3RD GRAND SLAM TITLE.

🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 pic.twitter.com/ttRukWQb1V

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 12, 2026

Rybakina needs just one Major to complete the Career Grand Slam: the French Open. She has never made it past the quarterfinals of the clay-court Major, reaching the stage twice.

Rybakina had already clinched two titles before arriving at Flushing Meadows this season: the Australian Open and the Stuttgart Open (beat Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Muchova).

She also played the finals of the Indian Wells Open and the Canadian Open, losing them to Sabalenka and six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, respectively. Then in Cincinnati, while playing Swiatek in the fourth round, Rybakina was forced to give the walkover due to injury issues.

En route to the final, she eliminated an in-form Qinwen Zheng and 2023 US Open champion Coco Gauff in the semifinals. The 27-year-old also became the first player to defeat the defending champion in the US Open final since Williams in 2002, as well as the first at any Grand Slam event since Madison Keys‘ win over Sabalenka in the 2024 Australian Open final.

Aryna Sabalenka vows to bounce back stronger after upset to Elena Rybakina

Before the US Open final, Elena Rybakina had already dethroned Aryna Sabalenka from the No.1 ranking after defeating 2024 Paris Olympics gold medalist Qinwen Zheng. The win also made Rybakina the third player since 2000 to take home both the Australian Open and the US Open in the same season, after Angelique Kerber (2016) and Sabalenka (2024).

Overall, I should be happy with the level I played, and there are lots of things to take from this tournament. As experience shows, I only come back stronger, and all of these lessons this season already made me stronger. But it’s definitely going to motivate me for next year to do a better job.

Aryna Sabalenka said at the press conference

Sabalenka had dropped just one set before reaching the final, against reigning Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova in the quarterfinals. The 28-year-old, in fact, played her first final since completing the Sunshine Double by beating Rybakina in Indian Wells and Coco Gauff in Miami in March this year.

When you go out there, you have a target on your back. It doesn’t matter if you’re No. 1, 2, 3, 4, whatever it is. I’ll just keep working hard and improving my tennis and my level. Hopefully I will win some more tournaments.

Aryna Sabalenka added

Next, after some much-needed rest, both players will gear up for the Asian swing. But the US Open has not ended yet.

On Sunday (September 13), Alexander Zverev will lock horns with Ben Shelton in the final. If Shelton wins, he will become the first American man since Andy Roddick‘s win at the 2003 US Open to win a Grand Slam title.

Also read: Toni Nadal Calls for a Change in Modern Tennis Equipment: “I Would Reduce the Size of the Rackets”