Aryna Sabalenka faces Elena Rybakina in the Women's Open final.
Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina renew one of the most compelling rivalries in women's tennis when they meet in the US Open final on Saturday night, with the world's top two players going head-to-head for the final Grand Slam title of 2026. Sabalenka is chasing a third consecutive US Open crown, while Rybakina is looking to win the tournament for the first time and will move to world No.1 regardless of the result.
Who is the Betting Favourite in Sabalenka vs Rybakina?
Aryna Sabalenka is the betting favourite, with the latest odds making her 3/4 to beat Elena Rybakina, who is available at 6/5.
The market reflects just how difficult this final is to call, with the two players separated by a relatively narrow price despite their contrasting paths through the tournament. Sabalenka has been particularly impressive in New York and booked her place in a fourth consecutive US Open final by beating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the semi-finals.
Rybakina, meanwhile, defeated Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to reach her first US Open final, having already won the Australian Open earlier this year. The Kazakh will also become the new world No.1 after the tournament, ending Sabalenka's 99-week spell at the top of the rankings.
Sabalenka vs Rybakina UK Time
The Sabalenka vs Rybakina US Open final starts at 9:00pm BST on Saturday, September 12, with the match taking place at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.
UK viewers can watch the final live on Sky Sports Tennis, Sky Sports+ and Sky Sports Main Event, with coverage scheduled around the 9pm start.
It is a fitting finale to the women's tournament, with Sabalenka and Rybakina meeting in a Grand Slam final for the third time. They previously split the Australian Open finals in 2023 and 2024, before Rybakina came from a set down to beat Sabalenka in this year's Australian Open final.
Sabalenka vs Rybakina Match Prediction
Prediction: Aryna Sabalenka to win 2-1
This is one of the hardest finals of the season to predict, but Sabalenka's current level in New York gives her a narrow edge. The Belarusian has won 19 consecutive matches at Flushing Meadows and is attempting to become only the third woman in the Open Era to win three successive US Open singles titles.
Her semi-final performance against Pegula was particularly convincing, with Sabalenka producing 29 winners and seven aces on her way to a straight-sets victory. She has also won the two most recent hard-court meetings between the pair, although Rybakina still leads their rivalry in Grand Slam finals after her Australian Open victory earlier this year.
Rybakina's serve could make this extremely competitive. Her ability to collect cheap points behind the first delivery and dictate with her groundstrokes is a major reason why she has reached the final, while her composed style gives her a strong platform against Sabalenka's aggressive game.
Sabalenka, however, has shown throughout this tournament that she can combine her trademark power with greater control in the longer exchanges. With the pressure of defending her title and the chance to complete a historic three-peat, expect another high-quality contest between two players who have repeatedly produced tight encounters.
Sabalenka to edge Rybakina in three sets is therefore the prediction, although the 2-1 scoreline reflects just how little separates the two elite hard-court players.
