Elena Rybakina One Win From US Open History After Injury Scare

A foot injury nearly kept Elena Rybakina out of the US Open before it started. Instead, she's walked her way into a final against Aryna Sabalenka that hasn't been seen at Flushing Meadows in over a decade - the top two seeds meeting for the title for the first time in 13 years.

Rybakina didn't sugarcoat how uncertain her tournament looked in its opening rounds. Speaking in an interview shared by JioStar ahead of the final, she admitted the physical doubt was real from the very first matches: "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."

Finding Her Rhythm Match by Match

What changed wasn't the injury concern disappearing - it was her focus shifting away from it. "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. There were also some very difficult opponents and great matches. I feel like something is definitely going my way, and I hope that on finals day, I can do my best and that it also brings me success." It's a notably grounded way to describe a run that's landed her in a Grand Slam final - less a triumphant surge, more a gradual correction under pressure.

The Physical Toll of Back-to-Back Three-Setters

Reaching this final wasn't a smooth ride either. Rybakina played three-set matches in both her quarterfinal and semifinal, and she was candid about the toll that took, especially having gone into the tournament without a full week of practice beforehand. "During the match, I was telling myself that I had not been practising for a week before the tournament. I was convincing myself that I wasn't tired and that I could still push." She pointed specifically to moments where her legs weren't giving her serve the usual push, adding: "No matter who's on the other side, if my serve is working, it's already a big plus in my game and a big advantage. So yeah, I was just pushing myself mentally and physically."

Elena Rybakina Talks Game Plan Against Sabalenka

Asked directly what it will take to beat Sabalenka in a major final for a second time this year, Rybakina's answer centered on aggression and familiarity rather than any new tactical wrinkle. "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." Given how many times these two have already played each other this season, that mindset reads less like a plan and more like a rule she's tested and trusts.

The Aryna Sabalenka vs. Elena Rybakina US Open 2026 women's singles final airs Sunday, September 13, at 1:30 AM, live on JioHotstar and Star Sports.