Following last-minute absences of Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek at WTA Dubai 2026, Elena Rybakina, the newly crowned champion of the Australian Open, will be the top seed and the main contender to claim a title that would allow her to surpass the Polish player and start challenging the Belarusian for the top spot in the rankings. However, the Kazakh prefers to take it step by step when asked about the hypothetical world number one position: "It's definitely a goal. But it depends on how other players compete and the results. The season is very long. There's no time to stop. Improvement is needed every day."
Elena Rybakina on chasing the #1 ranking in 2026:
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 15, 2026
"It's definitely a goal. But it depends how the other players compete & what the results are gonna be. The season is so long. There’s no time to stop. You need to improve every day."
(via @AlErsalpod)
pic.twitter.com/mWn3IlsIaA
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Rybakina, sobre aspirar al número uno de la WTA: "Sin duda, es un objetivo, pero la temporada es muy larga"

