The trophy ceremony for the US Open tennis champion took place on Arthur Ashe Court immediately after the final: Kazakhstan's top-ranked women's singles player, Elena Rybakina, received the trophy for her victory at the US Open, reports infohub.kz.
In the decisive match of the hard-court Grand Slam tournament, the Kazakh player defeated Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka.
The runner-up was awarded first, after which Rybakina was invited to the stage. The cup was presented to her by Maria Sharapova — former world No. 1, champion of all Grand Slam tournaments, and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Even before the award ceremony, Sharapova congratulated Rybakina and had a warm conversation with her. Then the new champion was addressed by the head of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation, Bulat Utemuratov, who was personally present at the final.
The victory at the US Open allowed Rybakina to update her own world record for the most prize money earned at a single tennis tournament. Following the tournament, the Kazakh player will top the world rankings for the first time.