Sabalenka vs Rybakina: US Open women’s singles final – start, prize, form

The US Open women’s singles title will be decided on Saturday at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where top seed Aryna Sabalenka takes on second seed Elena Rybakina. Sabalenka arrives as the two-time defending champion and is attempting to win a third straight US Open, a run previously accomplished only by Chris Evert and Serena Williams. Rybakina, the Russian-born Kazakh, will move to world No. 1 when the WTA rankings are updated on Monday, ending Sabalenka’s 99-week run at the summit.

Both players reached the final by winning tough semifinal matches on Thursday. Sabalenka beat world No. 1 American Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 to extend her run toward a fourth straight final appearance, while Rybakina rallied from a set down to defeat 2023 champion Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in front of a partisan crowd. Saturday will mark the pair’s 18th career meeting; Sabalenka leads their head-to-head 10-7 and the two have already met in three finals this year, including the Australian Open in which Rybakina prevailed and the Indian Wells final won by Sabalenka.

Both players have highlighted different priorities and mindsets ahead of the showdown. Rybakina has spoken about treating the match as another test without adding pressure, saying she values the lessons from facing an opponent who pushes her. Sabalenka, meanwhile, described herself as “super desperate” to reach and win the final and said she is prepared for “whatever it’s going to take.” Their recent results suggest Sabalenka enters on strong form, having dropped only one set on her way to the final, while Rybakina’s resilience and serving remain key threats.

Beyond the title and ranking ramifications, substantial prize money is at stake: the champion will receive $5.5 million and the runner-up $2.8 million, part of a $108 million total purse for this year’s tournament. International broadcast partners include ESPN (United States), Sky Sports (United Kingdom), JioHotstar (India) and SuperSport (South Africa); regional listings are available on the official US Open website. Al Jazeera will provide pre-match build-up and live text commentary as the two top seeds contest another high-profile Grand Slam final.