'Red rag to a bull' - Sabalenka's extra motivation to win US Open

Aryna Sabalenka was fully aware she would have to win the US Open to stand any chance of stopping Elena Rybakina overtaking her as world number one.

Even that would not necessarily be enough. And as the pair prepare to meet in Saturday's final, Sabalenka knows her 99-week stay at the top of the world rankings is at an end.

Kazakhstan's Rybakina is assured of replacing Sabalenka at the top of the rankings, guaranteeing that by reaching the semi-finals.

Having also beaten the Belarusian to win this year's Australian Open title, Rybakina now has the opportunity to inflict further damage.

But that provides extra motivation for Sabalenka before their fourth meeting of the year.

"It is going to be red rag to a bull for her - she is not going to be happy," said former British number one Annabel Croft on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Now she has the opportunity to end this year on a high."

Sabalenka, who has beaten Rybakina in Indian Wells and Miami since the Melbourne final, still has history in her sights as she bids to become only the third woman in the Open era to win the New York singles title three years in a row.

The four-time Grand Slam champion's victory over American third seed Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals was her finest display in months, playing with a fire and freedom that had been missing previously.

Afterwards, Sabalenka played down the significance of losing her ranking, joking she did not care about it.

But she clearly does. Sabalenka's coach Anton Dubrov said as much when he spoke about how the issue has been hanging over her.

"I actually like this [losing the ranking] happened. It's ended and it's extra fuel," Dubrov said.

"There is no more extra draining [of mental energy] or thinking about it.

"There's a next chapter right now. You have to chase again. It's extra motivation for you. Just go and get it."

Sabalenka might have arrived in New York as the two-time defending champion, but there were concerns about her game and mindset.

Over the past five months, the 28-year-old had lost a series of matches from strong positions against opponents she was expected to beat.

The most notable was in the French Open quarter-finals. Sabalenka held a commanding set and a double break lead against 25th seed Diana Shnaider before capitulating to a 3-6 7-5 6-0 defeat.

Earlier in the clay-court season, Sabalenka blew six match points against Hailey Baptiste in Madrid and let slip a first-set lead over Sorana Cirstea in Rome, demonstrating a lack of mental focus that she had not shown on the WTA Tour for a long time.

A chink of vulnerability was still apparent during this North American hard-court swing, when she held clear advantages against 20-year-old Czech opponent Sara Bejlek at the Cincinnati Open before losing in straight sets.

But there was no panic for Sabalenka or her team, says her high performance coach Jason Stacy.

"We all understand that this is just part of the thing," Stacy said.

"We just give her space to be herself, help her figure out what might work for her right now.

"Giving her that freedom, but also knowing that she has the guidance of all of us, I think that just gives her a power that few are lucky enough to have."

For different reasons, two-time major champion Rybakina also came into the US Open with serious doubts about her chances.

Turning her ankle during the Cincinnati quarter-finals left the 27-year-old unable to walk for several days afterwards and put her chances of even competing at Flushing Meadows in jeopardy.

However, not only was the 2022 Wimbledon champion able to play, but she cruised through her opening four matches thanks to a huge service game which rarely allowed opponents to get into points.

Rybakina's past two wins against China's Zheng Qinwen and home favourite Coco Gauff proved she has the durability - in baseline exchanges and physical scraps - to withstand pressure.

"She wasn't even hitting balls three weeks ago," Croft said.

"What was interesting is that she said she worked on other things with her team and talked a lot and did a lot of work without hitting tennis balls.

"I presume she meant mental preparation and she has brought the freshness into this tournament."

By overcoming their pre-tournament concerns, Sabalenka and Rybakina have underlined their position as the two standout players on the WTA Tour.

The pair contesting the US Open final means they will close the Grand Slam season as they began it in the Australian Open's showpiece match.

"Talking about Grand Slams, it feels like a last push of the season," Sabalenka, who is aiming for her first major title of 2026, added.