Aryna Sabalenka fell to a 6-4 5-7 6-2 defeat by Elena Rybakina in the US Open final, extending her run of near misses in Grand Slam finals and leaving her without a major title in a season for the first time since 2022. The loss also cost the Belarusian her world number one ranking, which passes to Rybakina after 99 weeks at the top, and ended Sabalenka's 20-match winning streak at Flushing Meadows, where she was chasing a third consecutive title.

Sabalenka struggled to contain her frustration throughout the match, smashing her racquet twice and swearing at a cameraman after the defeat, later admitting it was "tough to control your emotions" after falling short in a bid for a three-peat. Former British number one Annabel Croft suggested Sabalenka's negative body language and refusal to respect Rybakina's level of play contributed to her downfall. The result means Sabalenka has now won only four of her nine Grand Slam singles finals, having also lost this year's Australian Open final to Rybakina and suffered a collapse from a winning position at the French Open.