One step from the top: Rybakina will be the new world No. 1 if she wins her next match

Elena Rybakina is just one victory away from becoming the new world number 1. The Kazakh needs to beat Qinwen Zheng in the quarter-finals of the US Open 2026 to reach the top of the WTA ranking for the first time in her career.

Rybakina arrives at this match after a practically flawless tournament. Her victories in the previous rounds have placed her just one step away from a goal that, just a few weeks ago, seemed much further away. The Kazakh already knows what it is like to win a Grand Slam, after her title at Wimbledon 2022, but she has never held the world number 1 ranking.

The ranking situation makes the match against Zheng one of the most important of her career. If Rybakina wins, she will be number 1 regardless of what happens afterwards in New York. She wouldn’t need to win the tournament or reach the final: the quarter-finals may be enough to complete the mission.

A match with a lot at stake

Opposing her will be Qinwen Zheng, a formidable opponent who also knows perfectly what it means to play high-pressure matches in New York. The Chinese player will try to prevent Rybakina from taking the world throne and, in turn, keep her own chances alive to advance toward the title.

The setting couldn't be more special for Rybakina. After years among the best on the circuit, the Kazakh has the opportunity to take the final step she needs to become the 28th world number 1 in the history of the WTA ranking. Everything will be decided in one match. One victory separates Rybakina from making history. And New York could become the place where, for the first time, her name appears at the top of the world ranking.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, A un paso de la cima: Rybakina será nueva Nº1 del mundo si gana su próximo partido