Even after she had won grand slam titles and conquered all surfaces, Elena Rybakina has been considered lesser than the greatest players of her era. She has long been one of the most devastating shotmakers, but there were a couple more consistent and mentally tougher players above her.
She leaves New York as the undisputed best player on the planet, the new standard bearer of the women’s game, after following up her snatching of the No 1 ranking from Aryna Sabalenka by succeeding her as the US Open champion. As she has done throughout this unforgettable week, the Kazakhstani showed her toughness in another spectacular tussle with her great rival, nervelessly closing out a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Sabalenka, the top seed and two-time defending champion.
