Three. That is the number of consecutive US Open titles Aryna Sabalenka is chasing this year, a run matched by only one woman in the tournament’s history. Sabalenka arrives as the two-time defending champion, trying to become the first player since Serena Williams to win three straight, a streak Williams built between 2012 and 2014.
The Serena Standard
Sabalenka’s second title came last September, when she beat Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6(7-3) in the final. That result made her the first woman to successfully defend the US Open crown since Williams did it in 2014, closing a gap of more than a decade in which no other woman managed back-to-back titles in New York.
“All those tough lessons were worth this one,” Sabalenka said after that final, reflecting on a season that had already tested her in three other major title matches. “I think because of the finals earlier this season, this one felt different. This one felt like I had to overcome a lot of things to get this one,” she added.
A Costly Toronto Exit
The buildup to a third title has not gone smoothly. On August 8, Sabalenka was eliminated in the Canadian Open quarterfinals by Ekaterina Alexandrova, the tournament’s No. 16 seed, 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4. She saved two match points while serving at 4-5 in the deciding set, then lost the match on a double fault after nearly two and a half hours on court.
The defeat landed just 15 days before her opening match at the US Open, a tight turnaround into the tournament she is trying to sweep for a third straight year. “I just tried to play every single point as if it was the last one because with her, you don’t get a lot of chances,” Alexandrova said afterward.
Still the Favorite
Despite the loss in Toronto, Sabalenka enters Flushing Meadows as world No. 1 and the tournament’s top seed, according to the confirmed field for the 2026 US Open. Her ranking has not moved despite the quarterfinal exit, and she still tops the entry list as the reigning back-to-back champion.
By the Numbers
The case for a third title rests on a body of work built over several seasons, not just last year’s final:
- 100: Grand Slam match wins for Sabalenka, a mark she reached in last year’s US Open final.
- 79.4%: her career win rate at majors, second only to Iga Swiatek among active players.
- 4: total Grand Slam titles, split evenly between two Australian Opens and two US Opens.
- 20 of 21: tiebreaks won during the 2025 season before the final, with the lone loss coming in February.
- 11: Grand Slams played over the three years leading into 2026, producing 4 titles, 3 finals, 3 semifinals and 1 quarterfinal.
The Prize on the Table
Her second US Open title alone paid $5 million, the largest single prize check in the history of women’s tennis. For readers tracking how rare feats get measured across other sports this year, our coverage of Formula 1’s DRS-free aero rules and the most-watched sporting events in TV history tracks similar ground in Data & Analytics.
