The key to Elena Rybakina’s Cincinnati win over Aryna Sabalenka? “The serve of course”

MASON, OH—It took Elena Rybakina just an hour and 15 minutes to knock out top seed and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka here on Friday, 6-1, 6-4. But as is so often the case in tennis, even if the scoreline looks lopsided, there were still three or four minutes, and three or four points, when the result could have gone either way.

They came with Rybakina serving at 4-3 in the second set. Up to that point, she had dominated all facets of the match. She handcuffed Sabalenka with her scalding serves and deep returns. She swung freely on both ground strokes and found the corners and the sidelines. She saved break points early in both sets, and kept Sabalenka from getting any kind of a foothold in the match. She executed on the tactics of her coaches, Stefano Vukov and Davide Sanguinetti, who told her to “open the angles” to take advantage of Sabalenka’s deep court position. By the middle of the second set, one commentator was impressed enough with Rybakina’s form to say, “It feels like a long time since she’s played this well.”

“We played so many times with Aryna that we both know each other so well that I was trying to focus on my game and also trying to follow, repeat the tactics and today, just everything worked well,” Rybakina said.

Still, this was the world’s No. 1 player, someone who had won seven of 11 over Rybakina, and who hadn’t lost many matches before the finals in 2025. Sabalenka dug out a hold to stay in touch at 3-4 in the second, and then twice reached break point on Rybakina’s serve. Errors had begun to creep into Rybakina’s game, while a few winners had started to fly off Sabalenka’s racquet. The pro-Sabalenka crowd sensed that she might, finally, have a chance to turn this from a rout into a match.

Rybakina’s coaches chattered away at her, but they kept the advice simple.

Before the first break point, Sanguinetti said, “Believe it.” Apparently Rybakina did. She stepped to the service line and fired an ace out wide, on the sideline, to the disbelief of Sabalenka.

Before the second break point, Vukov said, “Try your best.” Rybakina must have taken that to heart, too. She stepped to the service line and fired another ace out wide, on the sideline, to the even greater disbelief of Sabalenka.

We both know each other so well that I was trying to focus on my game and also trying to follow, repeat the tactics and today, just everything worked well. Elena Rybakina

The crisis had passed, and a turning point had been averted. In the end, this was a statement win for Rybakina, who fired 11 aces and was never broken. It was a reminder that the 2022 Wimbledon champion and former No. 3 is still around, and is still capable of beating anyone. With a 41-15 record, a title, and a No. 10 ranking, Rybakina hasn’t had a bad season. But she hasn’t made the quarters at a Slam in more than a year, and has mostly dropped out of the contender conversation.

Part of that has been various illnesses and niggling injuries, the latest involving her foot.

“I’m getting a little tired of my issues,” she said two weeks ago in Montreal.

Her season has also been marked by the ongoing controversy surrounding Vukov, who was accused of abusive behavior toward Rybakina and banned from WTA events during the tour’s investigation. (Vukov and Rybakina both deny the charges against him.)

It’s probably not a coincidence that the first week in which Vukov, who has coached Rybakina since 2019, was allowed back, he has helped her reach the semis of a 1000. I thought I noticed more determination than usual from Rybakina in her comeback win over Madison Keys in the fourth round, and now she has followed it with her best performance of the year.

Asked about Vukov’s presence, Rybakina was tight-lipped.

“It’s always a help when the full team is here with me,” was all she said.

For her, the serve was the trigger for everything else. The conditions—hot air, light balls, fast courts—didn’t hurt.

“Today it worked well,” she said of her serve. “I was before, trying to maybe to change the patterns more. But here it’s flying so much that I kept it simple. And in the end, I found my angles and especially in the important moments I was able to bring a good serve. And then as soon as I had the chance, I was trying to stay aggressive, even if I know the balls are flying.”

With this win, Rybakina has reminded everyone she’s still relevant. That should only raise the stakes for her next match, a Sunday semi with Iga Swiatek.