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He said he wanted to win the US Open and he did. Elena Rybakina is the new queen of New York and the 30th number one in world women’s tennis in the Open Era. The Russian naturalized Kazakh ended two perfect weeks on the Italian night: after having taken the lead in the WTA rankings, she won the US Slam for the first time by beating Aryna Sabalenka in the final with a score of 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in two hours and 21 minutes.
A final of the highest level, won thanks to quality and proactive tennis. Sabalenka abdicates after two consecutive titles at Flushing Meadows, at the end of a match marked by a few too many errors and a lot of nervousness.
The third Slam, awarded by Sharapova
For Rybakina, awarded by Maria Sharapova, winner in New York exactly twenty years ago, it is the third Slam trophy out of four finals played, after Wimbledon in 2022, won by beating Jabeur, and the Australian Open in January, won by overcoming Sabalenka. This is the 14th title of his career.
«It’s an incredible feeling. It’s still very difficult to realize what has happened, I have achieved so many goals in these last few weeks. I am very happy and very proud of all the work we have done”, confesses Rybakina. “It’s simply incredible, I struggle to find the words, but I’m really very happy.”
«In the third set I told myself I could still do it»
The Kazakh recalls the decisive moments of the final: «The match was very balanced. In the first set I got the break immediately and this allowed me to enter the rallies a little more easily and be aggressive. In the second, however, we both went ahead and held serve and I think that in the important moments Aryna was simply more aggressive: she took her risks and went looking for her shots.”
«I also had some small opportunities, but I made a couple of decisive mistakes. In the third I told myself that I could still do it, that I had to focus on my serve and risk a little more when I had the chance.”
Waking up as number one: «Also a sort of relief»
The new US Open champion looks to the future as world number one: «It will be very different to wake up tomorrow knowing that I have just won the US Open and that I have reached world number one. It’s also a kind of relief, because for two or three weeks you continue to follow all your routines, there’s a lot of work and also a lot of tension. I think it will be wonderful to wake up knowing that I have achieved such important goals.”
“I always believed it was possible,” Rybakina continues. «Over the years we have achieved great results and naturally not all seasons can be the same. I won Wimbledon in 2022, then I never managed to win a Slam again, but the following year I reached the final of the Australian Open. Along the way you learn a lot and a lot of things happen.”
«Now I feel like I have a great team and great people around me, we just kept working and finally it all paid off. I am very happy and very proud,” she concludes.