Elena Rybakina reveals her plan to stop Aryna Sabalenka in blockbuster final

Elena Rybakina heads into the US Open final knowing Aryna Sabalenka will be relentless. The Kazakh star has revealed her plan to stay aggressive, control rallies and prevent the World No. 1 from dictating the biggest points.Sabalenka leads Rybakina 10-7 in their head-to-head record. (Photo: Reuters)Elena Rybakina knows she cannot afford to let Aryna Sabalenka dictate the US Open final. The World No. 2 believes staying aggressive and controlling the rallies will be crucial if she is to deny the defending champion a historic third consecutive title in New York.Rybakina will face top seed Sabalenka in the women’s singles final at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday, with the title and the No. 1 ranking both at stake. It will be their 18th meeting, with Sabalenka holding a 10-7 advantage in their head-to-head record.Speaking in an interview shared by JioStar ahead of the final, Rybakina stressed the importance of taking the initiative against a player she knows extremely well.“I guess the same spirit. I need to fight no matter how I'm going to feel on that day and give my best. We know each other pretty well and have played so many times against each other. Yeah, just try to stay aggressive in important moments, not wait for her to dictate the point, and try to stay on top of the rallies,” Rybakina said. The Kazakh booked her place in the final by fighting back to beat 2023 champion Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. The victory continued a testing run in New York, with Rybakina pushed to three sets in both the quarter-finals and semi-finals.RYBAKINA'S FIGHT THROUGH THE PAINThe 27-year-old admitted that simply making it to New York had been uncertain because of concerns over her foot. She entered the tournament without knowing how her body would respond, but gradually shifted her attention from the injury to improving her tennis. “I wasn't 100 per cent sure if I was going to be able to even play this tournament. In the first few matches, I was thinking about my foot and how it was actually going to react. I was not that comfortable playing the first few matches,” she said.“Then, slowly, my focus moved towards what I was doing wrong on the court and what I needed to improve. So yeah, slowly I found my way.”Rybakina also revealed how she had mentally pushed through fatigue during her recent three-set battles, particularly when she felt her legs were struggling on serve.“I was just fighting for every point because both matches were very close. There were some moments where I did not have enough energy and push from the legs on my serve,” she said.Her opponent arrives with momentum of her own. Sabalenka defeated Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 to reach her fourth consecutive US Open final, becoming the first player since Serena Williams between 2011 and 2014 to achieve that feat.Sabalenka is chasing a fifth Grand Slam title and an unprecedented third straight US Open crown, while Rybakina is aiming to add the New York trophy to her Australian Open triumph and strengthen her bid for the top ranking.- EndsPublished By: Debodinna ChakrabortyPublished On: Sep 12, 2026 15:23 IST