Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka had played 15 hard-court matches against each other by the 2026 US Open final. Rybakina led that hard-court rivalry 8–7 after winning the championship match.
Their 2026 US Open final was another meeting between two elite hard-court players. Rybakina won 6–4, 5–7, 6–2, stopping Sabalenka from completing a third consecutive US Open title.
The statistic counts only hard-court encounters, not every match they played on all surfaces. Tennis rivalries can produce different records by surface because the speed, bounce, and movement of the court affect tactics.
Rybakina’s victory also gave her the season’s second hard-court major after she defeated Sabalenka at the Australian Open. Their repeated finals made the 2026 season especially significant for their head-to-head history.