Devastated Aryna Sabalenkova smashes racket and hits ball into crowd after US Open defeat to Elena Rybakina

Aryna Sabalenkova reacts during the US Open women’s singles final against Elena Rybakin, left, and Sabalenkova breaks her racket after losing the women’s singles final, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in New York. Elena Rybakina came to New York and took everything that belonged to Aryna Sabalenkova. First it was the number one in women’s tennis, then the US Open trophy.The tournament, which had been a struggle for Rybakina for so long, turned into the place of her coronation.Elena Rybakina won her first US Open title on Saturday after beating Aryna Sabalenko 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the final to complete a run that also took her to the top spot in the WTA rankings.Rybakina already secured the top ranking from next week and also ended Sabalenkova’s two-year reign as US Open champion.“It’s still so hard to process what happened,” Rybakina said. “Too many successes in these few weeks.The US Open title is Rybakina’s third Grand Slam title and second this year. Both of her Grand Slam wins this year came against Sabalenkova on hard courts after she also beat Belarus in the Australian Open final.Rybakina also ended Sabalenka’s 19-match winning streak at the US Open. Sabalenka has not lost at Flushing Meadows since her defeat to Coco Gauff in the 2023 final.The victory earned Rybakin $5.5 million, the largest prize in Grand Slam history. She also moved level with Sabalenka and French Open champion Mirra Andreeva for the most WTA Tour titles this season, with three each.Sabalenkova’s bid to win a third consecutive US Open title ended in the final, and her frustration was evident both during and after the match.The first signs came in the opening set when Sabalenkova surrendered the first break of the match with a costly double fault. In an immediate, fiery reaction to losing the game, she hit a tennis ball into the crowd. According to the announcers, as cited by Athlon Sports, the ball hit a camera on the court near the floor.Sabalenka broke her racquets on the court after the match after missing out on becoming only the third woman in the Open Era to win the US Open title three years in a row.Her disappointment continued even after the trophy was presented. She was approached by the video maker as she sat with her team, but appeared to gesture to the person to leave as she tried to process the defeat.“It’s really hard to control your emotions when you lose in a Grand Slam final and when you were trying to go for three,” Sabalenka told reporters.“I just wanted to let it go, because if I kept it in. I wouldn’t be able to say a word. I just wouldn’t go there very nicely.”