Elena Rybakina rattles through a service hold to love.

Both players seem to have settled well.

Ryan Harrison
Former French Open men's doubles champion on BBC Radio 5 Live

Early indications or any signs of strategy - I think Sabalenka wants to go at the body with the serve and try to see if she can tie up Rybakina. She did so on multiple occasions in that first game.

Elena Rybakina shows her power off the ground by drilling two backhands for winners in the first game for 30-30.

A backhand return drifts just into the tramlines before a backhand drop shot wraps up a solid opening service hold for Aryna Sabalenka.

* denotes next server

Image source, Getty Images

Aryna Sabalenka, in all orange, gets ready to serve.

Elena Rybakina, in yellow and black, waits to return on the other side of the net.

We're under way in the 2026 US Open women's singles final.

Annabel Croft
Former British number one on BBC Radio 5 Live

I think there's a little undercurrent of revenge here tonight which is going to give it that extra bit of edge because, of course, Rybakina has taken over that number one status.

What a final we have in store. It couldn't get much better than this.

Aryna Sabalenka wins the toss and chooses to serve first.

The players are heading out on to court now.

Elena Rybakina is introduced first, followed by defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.

They both walk past the trophy on their way out of the tunnel.

BBC Radio 5 Live

You can listen to live commentary of the US Open women's singles final on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds or by tapping "Listen live" at the top of this page (UK only).

Laura Robson
Former British number one on Sky Sports

There were times where you thought Sabalenka was almost untouchable at the top of the rankings. She had such a big lead but Rybakina's just clawed it back with some unreal consistency.

It started in Australia, she came out firing at the start of the year but then has backed it up with a lot of finals and semi-finals, and just always putting herself in the conversation.

I think that's the biggest difference this year.

Image source, Getty Images

Elena Rybakina said it was "painful to walk" a few days before the US Open, because of a left ankle injury which meant she retired injured from the Cincinnati Open last month.

She entered the tournament in New York knowing a run to the semi-finals would be enough to overhaul Aryna Sabalenka at the top of the world rankings.

Her first four matches were won in straight sets but she had to fight back from a set down against both Zheng Qinwen and Coco Gauff to book her spot in a first US Open final.

Image source, Getty Images

Elena Rybakina is already guaranteed to end Aryna Sabalenka's 99-week reign as world number one, regardless of the result today.

The Kazakhstani second seed will replace the Belarusian top seed at the top of the rankings when they are updated on Monday.

Rybakina says claiming the number one spot was a goal of hers, but her main priority is winning titles.

"It's just a number right now, my goal is to win the tournaments which I play," she said.

Rybakina is chasing her third Grand Slam title, after winning Wimbledon in 2022 and this year's Australian Open.

Marion Bartoli
Former Wimbledon champion on Sky Sports

The way Sabalenka has regained her form here and proved a point to everyone has been really amazing to see because she came with a lot of pressure.

She was defending champion, she didn't have the summer she wanted, she had this incredible loss starting from Roland Garros. Then she goes to Wimbledon and has a disappointing loss against Naomi Osaka - it was a tough summer for her.

The way she's recaptured her concentration and focus has been absolutely exemplary.

Image source, Getty Images

Aryna Sabalenka has lost only one of the 13 sets she's played to reach this year's US Open final.

Her toughest test was in the quarter-finals against Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, with a third-set tie-break required for Sabalenka to eventually secure victory.

She put in an impressive performance to defeat third seed Jessica Pegula in her semi-final on Thursday and is one win away from a US Open "three-peat", having previously won the title in 2024 and 2025.

Image source, Getty Images

Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka has not lost at the US Open since the 2023 final, when she was defeated by Coco Gauff.

The Belarusian's victory over Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals meant she broke the Open era record for the most Grand Slam hard-court finals in a row, with Sabalenka reaching every major final on her favoured surface since the 2023 Australian Open.

If Sabalenka beats Elena Rybakina, it will secure the 28-year-old's fifth Grand Slam singles title in total.

Martina Navratilova
Nine-time Wimbledon singles champion on Sky Sports

This is a rivalry. The predictor is like 50/50, you might as well flip a coin.

I looked at all the numbers from the matches they've played, the most recent at this tournament, and it's very, very close - I think Sabalenka's got a slight edge but it will come down to the mental bit.

Who's more brave or who's less crazy in particular situations? They are both big hitters who want to maybe overpower the opponent. It will come down to all this stuff.

Image source, Getty Images

Laura Robson
Former British number one on Sky Sports

To have number one and number two in the world, two big hitters, two great servers and two Grand Slam champions matching up against each other - it should be a good one.

Image source, Getty Images

In a tournament which has shone a spotlight on the deep pool of talent in women's tennis, it's top seed Aryna Sabalenka and second seed Elena Rybakina who will contest the final.

Today is the first time the top two women's seeds have reached a US Open final since Serena Williams beat Victoria Azarenka in the 2013 showpiece.

Sabalenka has beaten Rybakina in 10 of their 17 matches against each other, including the past two meetings between the pair this year at Indian Wells and Miami.

The one win Rybakina has over Sabalenka this year is a big one, though, with the Kazakhstani star triumphing in the Australian Open final in January.

About 20 minutes to go until the two finalists at this year's US Open walk out at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Image source, Getty Images

Great Britain's Alfie Hewett beat Tokito Oda to clinch a fifth US Open men's wheelchair singles title and prevent the Japanese top seed from completing the calendar Grand Slam in 2026.

A 6-0 7-6 (7-5) victory meant Hewett added to the doubles title he won alongside fellow Briton Gordon Reid on Friday.

Hewett, 28, lost to Oda in the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year, winning only two games in a 6-1 6-1 defeat at SW19.

Hewett told BBC Sport that his loss to Oda at Wimbledon made him "look in the mirror" and a period of reflection led to him wanting to "be a little bit more like me" as he pursued an 11th Grand Slam singles title in New York.

"I'm known for being just as equally as fearless, brave and courageous in big moments and I felt I was everything but that in Wimbledon," Hewett said.

"I was quiet, I was timid, I was a shell of myself.

"I think I have had six weeks of champing at the bit to come out and prove to myself that I can be more like that person."

Image source, Getty Images

Great Britain's Neal Skupski and American partner Christian Harrison won the US Open men's doubles title to claim their second Grand Slam trophy together.

The fifth seeds did not drop a set in New York as they beat sixth seeds Tim Puetz and Kevin Krawietz 6-4 7-6 (8-6) to secure the title.

Victory added to the pair's Australian Open triumph in January in what was their first Grand Slam as a pairing.

Skupski had lost in US Open finals in 2022 and 2025 alongside Wesley Koolhof and Joe Salisbury respectively.

"I don't know what to say really, I'm still in shock," said Skupski. "The speech gets a little bit easier once you've won.

"Losing twice and having championship points in the final last year was a tough part of my career, but it's amazing what a year does in tennis."