Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina meet in Saturday's US Open Women's final, with Sabalenka bidding to become the third woman in the Open Era to win three consecutive titles in New York.
Sabalenka comes into the final in excellent form after producing a dominant 7-5, 6-2 victory over Jessica Pegula in the semifinals.
The top seed has dropped just one set on her way to a fourth consecutive US Open final and is now one win away from a fifth Grand Slam crown and 20th consecutive victory at Flushing Meadows.
Rybakina has had to work harder to reach her first US Open final, recovering from a set down to beat Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals.
The Kazakh is chasing her third Grand Slam title and second major of 2026 after beating Sabalenka in the Australian Open final. She will also become world No. 1 on Monday regardless of Saturday's result.
The final will be their 18th meeting, with Sabalenka leading their head-to-head 10-7. The pair have also split their previous two Grand Slam finals one apiece, setting up another intriguing battle between two of the biggest names in women's tennis.
Aryna Sabalenka vs. Elena Rybakina betting picks and predictions
Aryna Sabalenka to Win 2-1 (+275)
Sabalenka has looked like the best player in the tournament and can cap another impressive US Open campaign by beating Rybakina in three sets.
The defending champion was outstanding against Pegula, winning 7-5, 6-2 and not dropping a single service game. She also hit 29 winners and showed the aggression that has made her so difficult to beat on hard courts.
Rybakina's serve is one of the biggest weapons on the WTA Tour, though, and she has already demonstrated that she can match Sabalenka's power after beating her in the Australian Open final in January.
Sabalenka still holds the edge in their overall rivalry and has won 10 of their 17 meetings. She also defeated Rybakina in the Indian Wells final earlier this year and in the semifinals in Miami shortly after, while their matches have regularly been decided by fine margins.
Rybakina should make this a competitive final, but Sabalenka's superior hard-court form and ability to dictate with her first strike can see her claim another three-set victory in New York.
Elena Rybakina to win over 12.5 games (+100)
Rybakina's run to the final shows why she shouldn't be overlooked, and backing the Kazakh to win at least 13 games offers appealing value.
The second seed has had to come from a set down against both Zheng Qinwen and Gauff, demonstrating her ability to stay composed and find another level when matches become difficult.
Her serve should also trouble Sabalenka. Rybakina has won 75% of her matches against WTA top-10 opponents since the end of last year's US Open and has an 18-6 record against the world's best players during that period.
Sabalenka is the more likely winner, but Rybakina has already beaten her in a Grand Slam final this year and should be capable of keeping the scoreline close.
A three-set match would give Rybakina a strong chance of clearing 12.5 games, while even in defeat she should have enough firepower to make Sabalenka work for the title.
Match under 6.5 double faults (-110)
Sabalenka and Rybakina have both served impressively on their way to Saturday's final, and the low number of double faults recorded across their six matches suggests this could be a low-error contest from the service line.
Both players have committed just 16 double faults across their six matches at Flushing Meadows, an average of fewer than three per match. That makes under 6.5 double faults an appealing selection, particularly with both possessing the big serves needed to rack up free points.
Sabalenka has dropped just one set on her way to the final, while Rybakina has shown impressive composure in coming from behind against Zheng Qinwen and Coco Gauff.
With the stakes high and both players relying heavily on their serves, expect them to keep the double faults under control.
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Aryna Sabalenka vs. Elena Rybakina head to head
Aryna Sabalenka wins | 10 |
Elana Rybakina wins | 7 |
Aryna Sabalenka vs. Elena Rybakina odds
Aryna Sabalenka | -138 |
Elena Rybakina | +120 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
