Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka is looking to become the first woman to achieve the ‘three-peat’ in New York since Serena Williams in 2014 but she faces incoming world No 1 Elena Rybakina in the US Open final on Saturday.
Rybakina’s results this year, starting with her Australian Open final triumph against Sabalenka, will see her rise to the top of the rankings on Monday, ending the Belarussian’s 99-week reign.
But Sabalenka can exact some revenge for both that defeat and being overtaken at the WTA summit by defending her US Open title against Rybakina in Saturday’s Flushing Meadows final – live on Sky Sports Tennis from 5pm.
“I really understand about how tough it is to reach the world No 1,” said Sabalenka.
“It’s a lot of work and, yeah, that was one of my goals, but right now there was not much I could do. I didn’t really perform well in the middle of the season.
“Elena took it over and played really well. But I can only focus on myself and just stay in the moment and trying to do my best right now just so I keep it tight – and maybe I will take it back from her.
“But, yeah, it does feel a little bit weird. You can perform well in the tournament but still lose the number one position. So it’s OK. It’s sport. I love that. That’s the beauty of sport, right? Like, everyone chasing everyone, and it’s all about little things that you improve and you get better at.”
A mouth-watering final between the two top seeds
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Two-time defending champion Sabalenka is looking to become the first woman to achieve a unique hat-trick in New York since Serena Williams in 2014.
It is a mouth-watering final between the two top seeds, the first time that has happened at the US Open since Williams beat Victoria Azarenka in 2013.
“It’s an important match, and since it’s a final, it’s honestly, I feel like it doesn’t matter who is on the other side. You just want to win and do your best,” said Rybakina, the first player from Kazakhstan to reach world No 1.
“But also, I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself because we are all very close in the ranking.
“Even if something goes wrong in the final, I still have other opportunities, other tournaments until the end of the year.
“We push each other when we play these matches, and you clearly can see on what you need to work more. I think that’s great that you play against someone who pushes you till the limits.”
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‘This is Sabalenka’s house and all the other girls are guests’
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Sabalenka admitted earlier in the tournament that she would rather win a third US Open title than retain the world No 1 ranking.
Her performance coach Jason Stacy said: “Aryna is remembering who she is – being very, very aligned with who she is. She knows what she’s capable of. She knows that playing someone like Jess [Pegula] on a big stage in a big moment, that she needs to step it up.
“She just has to show up and understand – no disrespect to anybody, is that this is her house and all the other girls are just guests, and it’s time for them to go home.”
Max Mirnyi, a former Belarusian star who reached a career-high world No 18, added: “For Aryna, we can see that she has been improving as the tournament goes on. We’re excited. She certainly fits well with New York. I think she fits perfectly for this environment.
“She likes this circumstance of being the glamour girl and having the spotlight on her, dealing with the pressures of the night sessions, and she thrives in this pressure. That’s why she has been successful.”
Can Rybakina seal a third Grand Slam crown?
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Rybakina rallied to beat Coco Gauff in a thrilling semi-final to earn a title clash with defending champion Sabalenka and take a step towards her third Grand Slam crown.
The pair have played two previous Grand Slam finals, with Sabalenka defeating Rybakina in the 2023 Australian Open decider before the Kazakh levelled the score at Melbourne Park in January.
“It’s an important match, and since it’s a final, I feel like it doesn’t matter who’s on the other side,” said Rybakina.
“I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself, because we’re very close in the rankings. Even if something goes wrong in the final, I’ll still have other opportunities and other tournaments until the end of the year.
“We push each other when we play these matches, and you can clearly see what you need to work on more. I think that’s great that you play against someone who pushes you to the limit.”
The US Open is live on Sky Sports from August 30. Stream tennis with no contract on NOW and the Sky Sports App. You can also watch the Laver Cup at The O2 in London from 25-27 September live on Sky Sports.