Aryna Sabalenka’s bid for a third consecutive US Open title ended in a painful defeat Saturday, and her frustration was impossible to miss after the match.
Sabalenka lost the final to Elena Rybakina 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, ending her run at the tournament and denying her a chance to make history with three straight US Open championships.
Moments after the defeat, Sabalenka smashed her racket against the court in an emotional outburst. She had also hit a ball into the crowd during the match as the pressure of the final became increasingly difficult to manage
The loss was especially painful because Sabalenka had been chasing a historic three-peat after winning the US Open in both 2024 and 2025. She entered the tournament with a 19-match winning streak at Flushing Meadows, but that run ended with Saturday’s defeat.
The final also came with another major setback for the Belarusian star. Rybakina had already taken the world No. 1 ranking from Sabalenka before the final, ending Sabalenka’s 99-week reign at the top of women’s tennis.
Sabalenka later explained that the emotional reaction came from wanting to release the frustration of the moment. She acknowledged how much the three-peat pressure had affected her during the match but did not describe the racket smash as something she regretted.
For Rybakina, the victory brought her first US Open championship and her third Grand Slam title. She also became the first player representing Kazakhstan to reach the No. 1 ranking.
For Sabalenka, however, the night ended with one of the most emotional scenes of the tournament as her attempt at history came to an abrupt end.