Rybakina is the 30th tennis player in history to reach number 1

Elena Rybakina has secured a taste of being number 1 in the WTA ranking at this US Open 2026, something that only 29 other women have achieved in history. After 99 weeks with Aryna Sabalenka at the top of the ranking, this Monday, September 14, the switch will happen, and we will see the name of the Kazakh at the top of the list.

It's important to recognize this feat, and what better way to do so than to review the list of players who have reached the top of the world. It is striking that none of them was number one for just one week, with Evonne Goolagong spending the least amount of time at 2 weeks, followed by the Spaniard Garbiñe Muguruza with only 4. 

Sabalenka is relegated after accumulating a total of 107 weeks, which allows her to be on the top-10 list of players with the most weeks at number 1. Surely, the Belarusian is already hoping to regain her world crown and continue to extend that list, but Rybakina will aim to establish herself at the top of the table.

From now on, there will be 8 active women who have been number 1 in the world: Serena Williams, Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Victoria Azarenka, Naomi Osaka, Venus Williams, Karolina Pliskova, and, of course, Elena Rybakina. This is another testament to the excitement of the WTA circuit and the great expectations surrounding a battle for number 1, into which other players like Gauff or Pegula may join. It will be interesting to see how the Kazakh manages the pressure of being the best in the world.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Rybakina es la 30ª tenista de la historia que alcanza el número 1