Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina meet for another major title in U.S. Open final

Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina meet for another major title in U.S. Open final BRIAN MAHONEY NEW YORK THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PUBLISHED 50 MINUTES AGO Open this photo in gallery: Aryna Sabalenka serves the ball during the women's singles semi-finals of the U.S. Open tennis championships. Sabalenka will try to become the first player to win three U.S. Open titles in a row since Serena Williams. KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS COMMENTS SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina will finish the Grand Slam season the way it started. The top two women in the world rankings meet Saturday in the U.S. Open final, where Sabalenka will try to become the first player to win three in a row since Serena Williams from 2012-14. Even if she does, Rybakina will pass her on Monday and become No. 1 in the WTA rankings. Sabalenka has held the top spot for 99 consecutive weeks, but Rybakina gained enough points to unseat her by reaching the semi-finals in Flushing Meadows. Rybakina got a start on cutting into the deficit by beating Sabalenka in the Australian Open final. The rematch Saturday makes this just the second time since the Australian Open became a hard-court event in 1988 that the same women will play in the finals of both tournaments. Stefanie Graf and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario did it in 1994. Rybakina also has won a Wimbledon title and is playing for her first U.S. Open trophy. To get it, she has to stop Sabalenka’s 19-match winning streak at Flushing Meadows, where she hasn’t lost since Coco Gauff beat her in the 2023 final. Sabalenka won the two other meetings this season – both on hard courts – in Indian Wells and Miami. She leads their rivalry 10-7. Sign up for our Morning Update newsletter. Start your day with context and insight on the biggest stories shaping our lives SIGN UP EXPLORE NEWSLETTERS Report an editorial error Report a technical issue Comments Read or post comments Diversions Horoscope Daily astrology with Sally Brompton Daily Crossword Solve today's puzzle Daily Cryptic Witty word play at its best Sudoku Three difficulty levels to solve Follow related authors and topics TENNIS FOLLOW Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following. Interact with The Globe MORNING UPDATE NEWSLETTER Get timely insights Start your day with context and insight on the biggest stories…