Elena Rybakina Claims US Open Title Over Aryna Sabalenka
Under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, with New York humming and the stars out in force, Elena Rybakina ripped the US Open crown from Aryna Sabalenka’s grasp and claimed the night as her own.
The 27-year-old Kazakh beat the two-time defending champion in three gripping sets, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, to lift her first US Open trophy, seal a third Grand Slam title, and rise to No. 1 in the world. A coronation, played out on tennis’ loudest stage, with Hollywood watching from the best seats in the house.
Rybakina’s breakthrough on tennis’ biggest stage
Sabalenka arrived as the woman to beat in New York, chasing a third straight title and a slice of history. Rybakina left as the player who stopped that run cold.
She edged a tight opening set 6-4, absorbing Sabalenka’s power and answering with her own flat, piercing groundstrokes. The Belarusian punched back, clawing through the second set 7-5 to keep her title defense alive and crank up the tension inside Arthur Ashe.
Then the pressure told.
Rybakina, calm where others often fray, surged through the decider 6-2, breaking Sabalenka’s resistance and, with it, her hold on the tournament. When the final ball flew long, Rybakina dropped her shoulders, glanced to her box, and let the roar of nearly 24,000 fans wash over her. A third major. A first in New York. And the No. 1 ranking to confirm what the night made obvious: this is her era now, too.
A final with a celebrity front row
The tennis was elite. The guest list wasn’t far behind.
Pink, Andrew Garfield, and Amy Adams were among the celebrities packed into the stands on Saturday night, turning the women’s final into a cross between a championship match and a red-carpet premiere.
Pink, in heart-shaped red-tinted sunglasses and a denim jacket, watched the drama unfold alongside Amy Adams and Elizabeth Banks, the trio laughing and chatting between games as the match tightened. Her appearance came a day after she publicly addressed backlash over her criticism of Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian performances, explaining in a detailed statement why she had reposted a call for him to be removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour. The off-court storm followed her into the stadium, but on this night, the focus around her seat was firmly on the tennis.
Andrew Garfield made the most of the occasion, appearing on the event’s blue carpet before taking his place inside the arena. The 43-year-old We Live in Time star cut a relaxed figure in a navy zip-up jacket, matching pants, and sunglasses, blending into a crowd that was anything but ordinary.
Paris Hilton and her husband Carter Reum settled in to watch the final, while Jake Paul arrived with fiancée Jutta Leerdam. The couple checked their phones between points, Paul leaning in for a kiss as the match ebbed and flowed on court. A few rows away, Brad Pitt and Ines de Ramon followed the action together, another high-profile pairing in a stadium full of them.
Andy Cohen sat alongside Diplo, the pair a familiar sight at New York’s biggest events, as Spike Lee did what Spike Lee always does at the US Open: waved, smiled, and played to the crowd with the enthusiasm of a lifelong fan. Saturday Night Live’s Marcello Hernández was also spotted among the spectators, another name in a long list of familiar faces.
History in the house
If the celebrities brought the glamour, tennis royalty brought the gravitas.
Billie Jean King, the 82-year-old icon whose name is etched into the very fabric of this tournament, watched from the stands. Her résumé still stuns: 12 Grand Slam singles titles, including four US Open crowns. On a night that pushed the women’s game forward again, one of its greatest pioneers looked on.
Down on court, history looped back on itself. Maria Sharapova, who won this title in 2006, returned to present the trophy to Rybakina, exactly 20 years after her own triumph in New York. The image was striking: one former champion handing over the silverware to a new standard-bearer, two generations linked by the same stage and the same prize.
Scattered around the arena, more familiar faces added to the sense of occasion. Abigail Spencer, Fran Drescher, and Tyriq Withers were among those taking in the final, another layer to an already star-studded evening.
By the time Rybakina held the trophy aloft, the celebrity cameras, the legends in the stands, and the noise of Arthur Ashe all converged into a single, clear picture: a new US Open champion, a new world No. 1, and a women’s game that refuses to stand still.
