Elena Rybakina will become the new women’s world number one on Monday, ending Aryna Sabalenka’s 99-week reign at the top of the rankings.
Zheng Qinwen’s defeat against Rybakina in the US Open quarter-finals handed the Russian the top ranking. Rybakina conceded her first set of the tournament before rallying to win 3-6 6-1 6-4, surviving a break point during the decisive third set.
A Kazakhstani athlete has become the first person from her country to top the singles rankings.
“It’s just a number right now. My goal is to win the tournaments which I play,” the 27-year-old said. “It’s an amazing achievement, but you know how quickly everything can change in tennis ranking-wise.”
Sabalenka’s Streak Ends at 99 Weeks
Three women stood between Sabalenka and the world No 1 ranking when Rybakina stepped onto the court in New York. Rybakina herself was one of them, along with Americans Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff. Each of the other two needed to lift the US Open trophy and hope Rybakina was eliminated before reaching the semi-finals.
Sabalenka’s consecutive 99-week streak dates back to 21 October 2024. It stands as the sixth-longest run in WTA history.
Rybakina came out on top in a three-set contest at this year’s Australian Open final, and the top two players might do the same again at the US Open final.
On Thursday, Coco Gauff will play Rybakina in a semi-final match, with Sabalenka set to face Jessica Pegula in the other.
Momentum Built in China
Rybakina started her campaign to reach number one at the close of 2025, following a defeat against Sabalenka in the Wuhan Open quarter-finals. A week after that loss, she claimed the Ningbo Open title. She followed up by beating Sabalenka again at the season-ending WTA Finals.
She carried that form into 2026. Rybakina beat Sabalenka again, this time in a major final, winning the Australian Open in three competitive sets. It was her second Slam title, almost four years after her first at Wimbledon.
Since then, Sabalenka has come out on top in their meetings, including the Indian Wells final and the Miami Open semi-final. Rybakina got her own back by winning the Stuttgart title on clay while Sabalenka’s form went up and down.
A rough stretch followed. At the French Open and Wimbledon, Rybakina exited early. In Toronto, she made it to the final but fell in straight sets to Iga Swiatek.
Last month, her campaign encountered further trouble when she withdrew from her Cincinnati Open quarter-final against Swiatek due to injury.
The issue with Rybakina’s left ankle, which she discussed afterward, was “bothering me for a long period of time”, though she believed it was something she had “under control”.
Speaking before the US Open, she admitted her preparation “wasn’t great” because she could not train for much of the week before the tournament.
The Serve Carries Her Through
She has reached the first of her two major goals in New York despite it, and her ascent has taken place during one of the most consistent stretches of her career.
Rybakina has played through an ankle injury and followed a 78-match 2025 campaign with 60 appearances this season. She has claimed victory in 47 of those matches, which ranks behind only world number three Pegula’s total of 50.
This season, only Pegula can rival her 34 hard-court victories. Against other top-20 players, Rybakina has claimed 13 of her 20 matches.
Her biggest weapon is the serve. She has the most aces on the WTA Tour this year, with 394 in 2026.
Rybakina’s serve reached its peak against Naomi Osaka during the fourth round, where she converted 87% of her first-serve points and hit seven aces along with her 29 winners, while keeping her unforced errors down to just 17.
“The immediate thought that I had in my head when she hit the ace, I was, like, ‘well, I can’t really do anything about it’,” Osaka said. “Maybe I could have covered it, but she has a great serve, so she probably would have hit the other way.”
Stefano Vukov’s Return
Rybakina has worked with coach Stefano Vukov for almost seven years.
Before they went their separate ways, the two worked together from 2019 through 2025. That same year, Vukov was barred from the WTA Tour after an independent probe found he had broken the tour’s code of conduct while dealing with Rybakina.
Rybakina stated that she was never mistreated by Vukov, while Vukov himself denied any wrongdoing.
At the start of 2025, Rybakina wanted the Croat back on her side. The appeal was successful, and the pair began working together again in August last year.
She reached the US Open fourth round for the first time in her career at her first tournament back with Vukov, and the strong finish to the season that came after has now put her atop the sport.
The trophy, she says, matters more than the ranking.
Key Numbers
- Rybakina becomes world number one on Monday, ending Sabalenka’s 99-week reign
- Quarter-final score: Rybakina beat Zheng Qinwen 3-6 6-1 6-4
- Sabalenka’s streak began 21 October 2024, the sixth-longest in WTA history
- Rybakina has 394 aces in 2026, the most on tour
- She has won 47 of 60 matches this year
- Rybakina beat Osaka in the fourth round, winning 87% of first-serve points
The Road to Number One
- October 2025 — Loses to Sabalenka in Wuhan Open quarter-finals
- October 2025 — Wins Ningbo Open title
- 2025 — Beats Sabalenka to win WTA Finals
- January 2026 — Beats Sabalenka to win Australian Open
- 2026 — Wins Stuttgart title on clay
- Last month — Retires injured from Cincinnati Open quarter-final
- US Open 2026 — Beats Zheng Qinwen to secure world number one
The ranking changes on Monday. Rybakina’s next match is Thursday.
Source: bbc.co.uk
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.