New York, Sept. 13 -- Elena Rybakina was just one point away from the biggest moment of her US Open career when nerves briefly got the better of her.
Serving for the championship at 5-2 in the deciding set against two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, the Kazakh double-faulted on her first championship point.
For a moment, the door appeared open for Sabalenka.
But Rybakina did not allow the mistake to define the moment. She steadied herself, returned to the serve that had carried her through the tournament and delivered an ace on the very next point to seal a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory and her maiden US Open title.
It was a fitting ending to a final in which composure proved as important as power.
The second-seeded Rybakina had faced...