Try to stay on top of rallies: Rybakina reveals game plan to stop Sabalenka in US Open final

New York : The World No. 2 Elena Rybakina knows exactly what she needs to do if she is to deny World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka a historic third consecutive US Open title.
Rybakina, who will face top seed and two-time defending champion Sabalenka in the US Open 2026 women’s singles final, says she will look to stay aggressive, take control of the rallies and prevent her opponent from dictating play.
Speaking in an interview shared by JioStar ahead of the Women’s Singles final, Rybakina said, “I guess the same spirit. I need to fight no matter how I’m going to feel on that day and give my best. We know each other pretty well and have played so many times against each other. Yeah, just try to stay aggressive in important moments, not wait for her to dictate the point, and try to stay on top of the rallies.”
The final at Arthur Ashe Stadium will take place on Sunday, September 13, with action live on JioHotstar and Star Sports. It will be the 18th meeting between the two players, with Sabalenka currently leading their head-to-head 10-7. It is also the first US Open women’s singles final between the top two seeds in 13 years.
Sabalenka will be chasing her fifth major and a third straight US Open crown.
Rybakina booked her place in the final with a comeback victory over 2023 US Open champion Coco Gauff, recovering from a set down to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
The road to the final, however, has not been straightforward for Rybakina. The 27-year-old revealed that she was uncertain whether she would even be able to compete in New York because of concerns over her foot.
“I wasn’t 100 per cent sure if I was going to be able to even play this tournament. In the first few matches, I was thinking about my foot and how it was actually going to react. I was not that comfortable playing the first few matches. Then, slowly, my focus moved towards what I was doing wrong on the court and what I needed to improve. So yeah, slowly I found my way. There were also some very difficult opponents and great matches. I feel like something is definitely going my way, and I hope that on finals day, I can do my best and that it also brings me success,” she added, according to JioStar.
Rybakina was pushed into three sets in both her quarter-final and semi-final, forcing her to dig deep physically and mentally.
“During the match, I was telling myself that I had not been practising for a week before the tournament. I was convincing myself that I wasn’t tired and that I could still push. So yeah, honestly, I was just fighting for every point because both matches were very close. There were some moments where I did not have enough energy and push from the legs on my serve. No matter who’s on the other side, if my serve is working, it’s already a big plus in my game and a big advantage. So yeah, I was just pushing myself mentally and physically,” Rybakina said in an interview shared by JioStar.
Sabalenka, on the other hand, arrives in the final after producing one of her most impressive performances of the tournament, defeating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the semi-finals. The win sent her into a fourth consecutive final in New York, the first player to do so since Serena Williams from 2011 to 2014.
The stakes, therefore, could hardly be higher. Sabalenka is chasing history in New York, while Rybakina is looking to add the US Open trophy to her Australian Open title and complete her rise to the top of the rankings.