WTA Elena Rybakina US Open 2026

From Melbourne to New York: Rybakina completes a double feat achieved by only six players

Fernando Murciego - 13 Sep 2026
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From Melbourne to New York: Rybakina completes a double reserved for the chosen ones. Source: Getty

Elena Rybakina now has her name on a list reserved for very few chosen ones. The Kazakh has been crowned champion of the US Open 2026 and has completed one of the most exclusive doubles in women's tennis: winning the Australian Open and the US Open in the same season, both on hard court.

The feat becomes even more significant when looking at who achieved it before. Since both Grand Slams have been played on fast surfaces, only five players had managed to complete this particular journey between Melbourne and New York in the same year. Steffi Graf did it in 1988 and 1989, Monica Seles repeated it in 1991 and 1992, while Martina Hingis achieved it in 1997. More recently, Angelique Kerber did it in 2016 and Aryna Sabalenka in 2024. Today, Rybakina joins that group of champions.

The Kazakh began 2026 by lifting the Australian Open trophy and has finished the Grand Slam calendar with another title in New York, confirming extraordinary consistency on the two major hard court stages. Between Melbourne and Flushing Meadows, there are thousands of kilometers, seven months difference, and numerous rivals ready to prevent the same player from thriving at both ends of the calendar.

Moreover, her triumph in New York has an additional dimension, as the title allows her to sit for the first time in the number one spot in the world rankings. The Kazakh arrived at the tournament knowing she had a historic opportunity and responded in the best possible way, winning the matches she needed to turn a mathematical possibility into a sporting reality.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, De Melbourne a Nueva York: Rybakina completa un doblete reservado solo a seis jugadoras