Elena Rybakina Claims Historic US Open Title
Under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, with New York’s late-summer haze hanging over the court and a gallery that looked more like a Hollywood premiere than a tennis final, Elena Rybakina tore up the script.
Aryna Sabalenka arrived as the two-time defending US Open champion, the established force in this rivalry. She left with her crown gone, beaten 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 by a Rybakina performance that was as steely as it was historic. The Kazakh star claimed her first US Open title, her third Grand Slam overall, and with it the No. 1 ranking in the world.
The biggest names in the building weren’t just on the court.
Pink, Amy Adams, and Elizabeth Banks watched from the stands, the three of them sharing laughs during changeovers. Pink, in heart-shaped red-tinted sunglasses and a denim jacket, cut a striking figure courtside just a day after she publicly addressed backlash over her criticism of Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian performances and her repost of a call for him to be removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour. The off-court noise followed her into Queens, but inside Arthur Ashe she was simply another star locked into a heavyweight final.
A few rows away, Andrew Garfield drifted between the blue carpet and his seat, the We Live in Time actor keeping it understated in a navy zip-up jacket, matching trousers, and sunglasses. Paris Hilton and her husband Carter Reum settled in to watch the drama unfold, while Jake Paul and his fiancée Jutta Leerdam alternated between the action on court and their phones, Paul leaning in for a kiss during a lull between points.
Brad Pitt and Ines de Ramon added more A-list wattage, taking in the final together as cameras frequently found them between games. Andy Cohen sat shoulder to shoulder with Diplo, the pair a snapshot of pop culture’s collision with sport. Spike Lee, a regular at New York’s biggest stages, rose to his feet and waved energetically to the crowd, soaking in the atmosphere as if it were another night at Madison Square Garden. Saturday Night Live’s Marcello Hernández blended into the celebrity throng, another familiar face in a sea of them.
On court, though, it was all business. Rybakina’s precision and resolve finally cracked Sabalenka’s resistance in a deciding set that felt like a changing of the guard. The 6-2 closer wasn’t just a scoreline; it was a statement, the final act in a match that swung violently before settling in Rybakina’s favor.
The night also carried a strong sense of tennis history. Billie Jean King, whose legacy runs through every corner of this tournament, watched on at 82, a 12-time Grand Slam singles champion and four-time US Open winner still very much a presence at the sport’s biggest occasions. Her era’s battles for titles and equality framed the spectacle unfolding below.
Then came another generational handover. Maria Sharapova, who lifted this same trophy in 2006, stepped onto the court for the trophy ceremony. Twenty years after her own breakthrough in New York, she presented Rybakina with the prize, a symbolic passing of the baton from one powerful baseline champion to another.
Scattered across the stadium, more familiar faces dotted the crowd: Abigail Spencer, Fran Drescher, Tyriq Withers. They joined the long list of stars who had already passed through Flushing Meadows this week, a roster that during the men’s semifinals included Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Nicole Kidman, and others.
But the night belonged to Rybakina. A first US Open title. A third major. World No. 1 secured. Under the gaze of Hollywood, music, and sporting royalty, she didn’t just win a match; she claimed the stage that so many had come to watch.
