Elena Rybakina unveils the weapon she thinks can topple Aryna Sabalenka as the queen of the US Open

US Open finalist Elena Rybakina is facing the biggest challenge women's tennis has to offer, but she believes she has one trick up her sleeve that can power her to a third Grand Slam title.

Aryna Sabalenka has dominated the US Open over the last few years but Rybakina hopes that her service game will push the two-time champion all the way in what should be a tight encounter in New York.

Sabalenka has only faced a third set once on the way to the final, seeing off Camila Osorio, Polina Iatcenko, Kamilla Rakhimova and Jessica Pegula in two. Linda Noskova made the 2024 and 2025 champion fight tooth and nail to win an epic quarter-final.

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Advantage Rybakina on first serve?

Rybakina won her first four matches in straight sets but had to come from behind after losing the first set against both Zheng Qinwen and Coco Gauff.

The final will be a titanic battle between Sabalenka, the world number one, and Rybakina, the world number two.

"I’ll need to bring my best serve and make the right decisions in the right moment," Rybakina told reporters ahead of Saturday's final.

"Most of the time it’s tight scores. This is where the decision makes a difference."

According to Tennis365, Rybakina is second only to Sabalenka in terms of service points won on the WTA this season.

Sabalenka has the advantage over most opponents in terms of service games won in 2026 too, but she's dead level with Rybakina.

"Rybakina is statistically the best server on the WTA Tour and it is undoubtedly her biggest weapon," reports

"The star has hit 357 aces this season already, which is more than anyone else on the WTA Tour. That’s over 100 more than Sabalenka has managed so far this year," reports Liam McMillen.

Rybakina came out on top against Sabalenka in this year's Australian Open final, winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 thanks to a superior record at break point, a marginally better rate of success on her first serve, and one more ace than her opponent in Melbourne.

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Sabalenka is chasing history in the US Open final

While the 27-year-old Kazakh defeated her rival in Australia to claim the second Grand Slam win of her career, it's Sabalenka who starts Saturday's US Open final as the favourite.

In 17 matches against Rybakina, the world number one has won 10 times.

Rybakina is playing in her first US Open final against the modern queen of Flushing Meadows. Sabalenka hasn't been beaten in a singles match in the US Open since the 2023 final against Gauff.

In 2024, the Belarusian beat Pegula in straight sets in the final. 12 months later, Pegula's American compatriot Amanda Anisimova suffered the same fate.

If Sabalenka can win her third successive US Open, she'll move within one championship of a long-standing record held by Chris Evert.

The legendary American won the US Open four times in a row between 1975 and 1978, the only woman to achieve the feat in the open era.

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