This Week in Tennis: Rybakina, Zverev Cap Slam…

Welcome to This Week in Tennis, where we catch up on all the latest and biggest stories from the ATP and WTA Tours.

New World No. 1 Rybakina Ends Sabalenka’s Reign

Elena Rybakina had already earned the rank of world No. 1 before stepping onto Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday afternoon, ending Aryna Sabalenka’s 99-week hold on the top spot.

By the time the match had ended, Rybakina had also denied Sabalenka a third-straight US Open title, defeating the defending champion 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to earn her first title at Flushing Meadows and third Grand Slam of her career.

The 27-year-old fought through an ankle injury to win her second major of 2026. She opened the year with a win at the Australian Open, where she also defeated Sabalenka in three sets. Rybakina now only needs to win Roland-Garros to complete the career Grand Slam, having won Wimbledon in 2022.

"It's going to be very different to wake up [tomorrow] morning knowing that I just won the US Open and achieved the No. 1 ranking," Rybakina said in her post-match press conference.

"I feel that it's going to be amazing to wake up knowing I achieved such big things."

Rybakina became the third player in the 21^st century to win the Australian and US Open in the same season, joining Angelique Kerber (2016) and Sabalenka (2024).

Since the end of the 2025 US Open, Rybakina’s four titles are more than any other player and her six finals are tied with Jessica Pegula for the most on tour. She is the first Kazakhstani player to hold the No. 1 rank.

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Zverev Tops Shelton For Second Slam of 2026

Alexander Zverev continued his career season on Sunday, beating Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 to win the US Open.

It is the second Grand Slam of the season for the 29-year-old German, who had not won a major before his triumph at Roland-Garros this past June. He has reached at least the semifinal in every Slam this season and currently sits at a career-high rank of No. 2 and atop the ATP Race to Turin, 700 points clear of Jannik Sinner.

“I want to thank my team. We went 30 years without winning a Grand Slam title and now we’ve won two within the span of three months,” Zverev said. “I think God has seen how hard we worked, how much we suffered, how much pain we went through. I think 2026 is the outcome of all the years that happened before.”

Shelton was unsuccessful in his bid to become the first American man to win the US Open since Andy Roddick in 2003, but will rise to a new career-high of No. 4 after reaching the first Grand Slam final of his career.

All Winners This Week:

US Open

Men’s Singles: Alexander Zverev (2/2/26)* d. Ben Shelton
Women’s Singles: Elena Rybakina (3/3/14)* d. Aryna Sabalenka
Men’s Doubles: Christian Harrison and Neal Skupski d. Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz
Women’s Doubles: Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend d. Ashlyn Krueger and Robin Montgomery

* 2026 Titles/Career Grand Slams/Career Titles

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Feature Photo: WTA