Aryna Sabalenka has been handed a $7,500 fine by the United States Tennis Association for her on-court conduct during the US Open final, where she suffered a three-set defeat to Elena Rybakina.
The Belarusian, who was chasing a third straight US Open championship, went down 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to Rybakina in the final on September 12.
The penalty was linked to an incident in the first set when Sabalenka hit a ball into the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium after being broken. She was visibly frustrated during the match and later sent another ball towards the rear of the court, with the shot narrowly missing a cameraman.
Her frustration peaked after the match. While sitting at her bench before the trophy ceremony, Sabalenka repeatedly struck her racket against the ground, breaking it.
Rybakina Denies Sabalenka Another US Open Crown
Sabalenka entered the final as the two-time defending champion and had been attempting to become just the third woman in the Open Era to win the US Open three consecutive times.
Rybakina made the stronger start, taking the opening set 6-4 as Sabalenka struggled to produce her trademark attacking tennis.
The world No. 1 found her rhythm in the second set and fought her way back into the contest. She raised the intensity of her game and levelled the match by taking the set 7-5.
The momentum shifted again in the decider. Rybakina earned an early break and remained effective in the longer exchanges, while Sabalenka began to make more errors. The Kazakh player completed a 6-2 third-set victory to win her first US Open title.
Another Major Final Loss for Sabalenka
Sabalenka’s campaign in New York had otherwise been outstanding. She reached the final without dropping a set and carried a 20-match winning streak at Flushing Meadows into the championship match.
However, the defeat means she will end 2026 without a Grand Slam trophy.
Her most recent titles came in March, when she won Indian Wells and Miami to complete the Sunshine Double. Those remain her only titles since her Brisbane triumph earlier in the season.
Sabalenka also reached the Australian Open final in 2026, where she was beaten by Rybakina. The Kazakh star therefore completed a notable double over the world No. 1 by defeating her in both Grand Slam finals.
Comments are closed.