If anyone had any doubts about whether she deserved to be ranked first on the WTA list from Monday, Jelena Rybakina dispelled all doubts tonight.
In addition to taking the "number one" title from Arina Sabalenko, the 27-year-old Moscow-born woman tonight also took away the throne in New York that the Belarusian had held for two consecutive years.
Rybakina defeated Sabalenko 2-1 in the US Open final, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.
This is Jelena's third Grand Slam title. She previously won Wimbledon in 2022 and the Australian Open this year, where she also defeated Sabalenko in the final.
Everything worked perfectly for the Russian with a Kazakh passport in the first set. She made a crucial break in the fifth game. By the end, she routinely took the set to the end and took a 1-0 lead.
Rybakina's dominance in this part of the game is also evidenced by the fact that, in addition to one used break opportunity, she also had four missed break chances.
She had a chance to perhaps break the match in the third game of the second set. Jelena got two break points, but Sabaljenka managed to hold her serve. And as time went on, Arina raised the level of her game. She got her first break points in the match while leading 5:4 in the second set. She also had two set points, but she easily missed a great chance that presented itself.
However, the Belarusian got another break chance while leading 6:5 and made no mistake. She took advantage and tied the game at 1:1.
Although the momentum should have been on Sabaljanka's side, Rybakina was better at the start of the deciding set. The tennis player, who will be number one on the WTA list from Monday, had an immediate break opportunity in the first game of the third set. She didn't take advantage of it, but she did in the third game when she took a 2:1 lead, and then confirmed the break.
It was practically the beginning of the end - Rybakina got another break and won the third set and the match 6:2.
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