Following a 99-week stretch, a fresh face is set to claim the top spot in women’s tennis—and that player is Elena Rybakina.
By defeating China’s Zheng Qinwen in the US Open quarterfinals, Rybakina secured her ascent to the pinnacle of the global rankings on Monday, taking over from Aryna Sabalenka.
Although she dropped her first set of the entire tournament, Rybakina battled back, fending off a crucial break point in the final set to seal a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 triumph.
With this achievement, she becomes the very first player from Kazakhstan, male or female, to claim the number one position in singles tennis.
Having closely chased Sabalenka throughout the current season, Rybakina entered New York as part of a trio of contenders—including American stars Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff—capable of dethroning the Belarusian.
Nevertheless, the other hopefuls had to secure the championship trophy while counting on Rybakina’s elimination prior to the semifinals in order to seize the top ranking.
Sabalenka’s unbroken 99-week run at the summit of the world rankings, which commenced on October 21, 2024, represents the sixth-longest uninterrupted tenure in the history of the WTA.
A final showdown between the two top-ranked stars remains possible at the US Open, mirroring their clash at this year’s Australian Open, where Rybakina emerged victorious in a three-set battle.
Ultimately, hoisting the championship trophy holds greater significance for Rybakina than her newly acquired ranking.
“Right now, it’s merely a statistic. My focus is on winning the events I enter,” remarked the 27-year-old.
“It is an incredible milestone, but we all know how fast things can shift in the tennis rankings.”
On Thursday, Rybakina is slated to play either Coco Gauff or Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals, while Sabalenka will compete against Jessica Pegula.
