US Open 2026 Women’s Final: Everything You Need to Know
The 2026 US Open women’s final delivered exactly the kind of high-pressure tennis that makes the tournament such a major event. In front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium, Elena Rybakina defeated two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to win her first US Open title.
The result gave Rybakina her third Grand Slam singles title and her second major of 2026, following her Australian Open triumph earlier in the year. It also saw her take over the world No. 1 ranking from Sabalenka when the rankings were updated after the tournament.
For Sabalenka, the defeat ended her attempt to become the first woman in the Open Era since Serena Williams to win three consecutive US Open singles titles. She had arrived in New York as the defending champion and world No. 1, but Rybakina produced the decisive performance when it mattered most.
Below you’ll find the key facts from the 2026 women’s final, including when it was played, the start time, the finalists, match format, prize money and the result.
When Was The Women’s US Open Final?
The 2026 Women’s US Open Final was played on Saturday, 12th September 2026 at Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York.
The match was scheduled for 4:00pm local time in New York and was part of the Saturday day session. Unlike the original expectation of an evening match, the women’s singles final was officially listed for the afternoon, with the men’s final taking place the following day.
The final featured the tournament’s top two seeds. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was attempting to defend her title for a third consecutive year, while No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina was competing in her first US Open final.
Rybakina ultimately claimed the championship after a three-set contest, winning 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.
What Time Was The Women’s US Open Final?
The 2026 women’s singles final began at 4:00pm local time in New York, which was 9:00pm in the UK on Saturday, 12th September.
The official US Open schedule listed the final for 4:00pm Eastern Daylight Time at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The match therefore provided a convenient evening viewing slot for UK audiences, rather than the late-night finish that can sometimes accompany US Open sessions.
The match itself lasted long enough to go the full three sets, with Rybakina eventually closing out the championship 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.
For anyone following the tournament from the UK, the 9:00pm BST start meant the final could be watched during the evening without needing to stay up into the early hours.
Who Was In The Women’s US Open Final?
The 2026 final was contested by Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds respectively.
Sabalenka entered the match as the two-time defending US Open champion. She reached her fourth consecutive US Open final by defeating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the semi-finals.
That victory extended her US Open winning streak to 19 matches and put her one victory away from becoming the first woman in the Open Era since Serena Williams to win three successive titles at Flushing Meadows.
Rybakina reached the final after defeating Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the semi-finals. Earlier in the tournament, she had also beaten Naomi Osaka and Qinwen Zheng, the latter victory securing her position as the new world No. 1 after the tournament.
The final was their 18th career meeting. Sabalenka had held the overall head-to-head advantage going into the match, while Rybakina had already beaten her rival in the 2026 Australian Open final.
Their contrasting strengths made the matchup particularly compelling. Both players are renowned for powerful serving and aggressive baseline tennis, with Rybakina’s first serve and clean ball-striking providing the platform for her successful run through the draw.
How Many Sets In Women’s US Open Final?
The women’s US Open final is played as a best-of-three-sets match. The first player to win two sets becomes the champion.
That format produced a competitive final in 2026. Rybakina won the opening set 6-4, but Sabalenka responded by taking the second 7-5. With the championship therefore going to a deciding third set, Rybakina regained control and won it 6-2 to secure the title.
As with other Grand Slam singles matches, tiebreak procedures apply when the score reaches 6-6, with the deciding-set tiebreak played under the Grand Slam rules.
The three-set format places considerable importance on momentum, physical endurance and the ability to respond after losing a set. Rybakina demonstrated all three qualities in New York, recovering from the second-set loss to close out the championship convincingly.
How Much Does The Women’s US Open Winner Get?
The 2026 US Open women’s singles champion received $5.5 million.
That represented a new record for the biggest singles championship prize in tennis. The US Open offered a total player compensation package of $108 million in 2026, a 20% increase from the previous year’s $90 million. The men’s and women’s singles champions received the same amount, maintaining the tournament’s equal prize-money structure.
Rybakina therefore earned $5.5 million for winning the title, in addition to 2,000 WTA ranking points. Her victory also helped propel her to the top of the WTA rankings, making the tournament particularly significant for her career.
The increase continued the US Open’s recent pattern of raising prize money. In 2025, the singles champion received $5 million, compared with $3.6 million in 2024.
How Much Does Women’s US Open Runner Up Get?
The 2026 runner-up received $2.8 million.
That amount was also a record and represented a substantial increase from previous years. The official WTA breakdown listed $2.8 million for the finalist, with the semi-finalists receiving $1.45 million and the quarter-finalists receiving $780,000.
Recent runner-up figures show how quickly the prize money has increased:
- 2025: $2.5 million
- 2024: $1.8 million
- 2023: $1.5 million
The 2025 figure was part of the US Open’s record $90 million player compensation package, while the 2024 tournament offered a $75 million total purse.
Who Won The Women’s US Open Final?
Elena Rybakina won the 2026 Women’s US Open Final, defeating Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.
The victory gave Rybakina her first US Open title and third Grand Slam singles championship. She had previously won Wimbledon in 2022 and the Australian Open in 2026.
Rybakina also became world No. 1 following the tournament, replacing Sabalenka at the top of the rankings. She became the 30th woman to hold the WTA singles No. 1 ranking.
For Sabalenka, the result brought her two-year reign as US Open champion to an end. She had won the tournament in both 2024 and 2025, but Rybakina prevented her from completing a historic three-peat.
The final also continued a growing rivalry between the two players. Rybakina had already beaten Sabalenka in the 2026 Australian Open final, and her victory in New York gave her two Grand Slam wins over the Belarusian during the 2026 season.
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