Clinical Rybakina marches into US Open third round

PUBLISHED Sep 4, 2026, 12:11 AM ET

Elena Rybakina advanced to the third round of the 2026 U.S. Open on Thursday, defeating Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-2, 6-4 at Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York. The second-seeded Kazakh controlled the opening set, taking a 3-0 lead and closing it in 30 minutes. She continued pressing in the second set, moving ahead before Bouzas Maneiro raised her level. Rybakina was broken while serving for the match, but immediately broke back to finish in straight sets. The victory extends Rybakina’s pursuit of a third Grand Slam title and strengthens her bid to become world No. 1. The WTA says reaching the semifinals would guarantee her the top ranking. Rybakina’s preparation was disrupted by an ankle injury that forced her retirement in Cincinnati, but she has now won her opening matches in New York without dropping a set. She next faces Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva.

By Lauren Mitchell | JQJO News

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 31
Right Leaning:: 0
Left Leaning:: 0
Neutral:: 31

Explain Framing

Left: No distinct left-leaning framing was identified in collected sports coverage. Center: Coverage emphasizes result, score, ranking implications, fitness, and next opponent. Right: No distinct right-leaning framing was identified in collected sports coverage.