England and Canada set up a rematch of their Women’s Rugby World Cup final from last year with crushing wins to begin the new WXV Global Series on Saturday.
The Red Roses overturned their first halftime deficit since 2020 and blew away Australia 48-15 with a seven-try second half in Salford.
Canada outclassed Scotland 64-26 in Edinburgh.
England will host Canada next Saturday in Exeter in their first matchup since the World Cup final a year ago at Twickenham, where England won 33-13.
In their first match since winning a record eighth straight Women’s Six Nations title in May, England was plagued by errors in the first half and thwarted by Australia's scrambling defense.
But a lineout maul try for hooker May Campbell quickly put England in a groove in the second half and the host extended its record winning streak to 39 matches.
Canada started reigning world player of the year and captain Sophie de Goede on the bench and still overran Scotland with 10 tries, five in each half.
Prop Brittany Kassil had a yellow card for a high tackle upgraded to a 20-minute red at 45-12 in the second half, and added three more tries.
Canada debuted three including sevens players Charity Williams, who had a try disallowed, and Savannah Bauder, who soloed the last try.
In Lyon, flanker Mia Anderson starred as New Zealand defeated France 28-14.
Anderson scored one try and had a big hand in two more to help the Black Ferns run their record this year to 6-0.
France replacement Lina Queyroi finished a move she started with a chip to close the gap to seven points, but five minutes later Anderson split the French and No. 8 Liana Mikaele-Tu'u touched down to restore the 14-point lead.
New Zealand is in Scotland next weekend.
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England's Abi Burton scores a try during the WXV Global Series women's rugby union match between England and Australia in Salford, England, Saturday Sept. 12, 2026. (Gary Oakley/PA via AP)
England's Abi Burton celebrates scoring a try during the WXV Global Series women's rugby union match between England and Australia in Salford, England, Saturday Sept. 12, 2026. (Gary Oakley/PA via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) — Elena Rybakina won her first U.S. Open title and punctuated her climb to the top of women’s tennis by beating Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 on Saturday.
Rybakina had already been guaranteed to replace Sabalenka at No. 1 in the rankings next week and for good measure took the U.S. Open title that Sabalenka had won the previous two years.
It was the third Grand Slam title for Rybakina and the second this year — both against Sabalenka on hard courts. She opened the season by beating Sabalenka for the Australian Open title.
This time, she stopped Sabalenka’s 19-match winning streak at the U.S. Open, where she hadn’t lost since falling to Coco Gauff in the 2023 final.
Rybakina earned $5.5 million, the largest prize in Grand Slam history, and tied Sabalenka and French Open winner Mirra Andreeva with a tour-high three titles this season.
Sabalenka took home $2.8 million but it was clear how little that meant to her, as she smashed her racket after a brief hug with Rybakina at the net.
Sabalenka was trying to become the first person since Serena Williams from 2012-14 to win three in a row at Flushing Meadows.
Rybakina dethroned the champ without even having her best stuff. The WTA Tour leader in aces got less than half of her first serves in but instead put Sabalenka under constant pressure with a strong return game, racking up 12 break chances and converting three, which was all she needed.
See AP’s full tennis coverage here
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, reacts during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships against Elena Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Elena Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, reacts during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships against Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, right, returns the ball to Elena Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, left, during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Sydney Schaefer)
Elena Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, right, embraces Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, after Rybakina won the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Elena Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, gestures after she won the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships against Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Elena Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, returns the ball to Coco Gauff, of the United States, during the women's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, follows through on a shot to Jessica Pegula, of the United States, during the women's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Elena Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, gestures after she won her match against Coco Gauff, of the United States, during the women's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, serves the ball to Jessica Pegula, of the United States, during the women's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
