Elena Rybakina's big goal at the end of the season

Elena Rybakina still has a lot to say in the final stretch of the season. The Kazakh tennis player eagerly awaits new challenges at a time when health seems to have become her main priority. The reason? We can barely count on one hand her appearances on the court after winning the title at the US Open, leaving us without the main reference of the women's circuit. She will reappear this week at the WTA Ningbo 2026, where she will be the main title contender and where she wants to take a giant leap towards what is already her great goal until the end of the season, in addition to reliving the memories of last season, when she arrived ranked ninth in the world and left as champion.

Her path won't be easy, with significant hurdles that promise to match her power and deny her passage: on the horizon appears a very in-form Jelena Ostapenko (who just reached the semifinals of the WTA 1000 in Wuhan) in the quarterfinals, along with potential semifinals against Iva Jovic or Diana Shnaider. In any case, all eyes are back on Elena, who still has not experienced victory since becoming champion in Flushing Meadows: an early and unexpected defeat against Charaeva in Beijing, withdrawal due to physical issues without even stepping onto the tournament in Wuhan... and a return in which she wants to once again demonstrate that her status as number one is no trivial matter.

The great goal of Rybakina until the end of 2026

However, the Kazakh also observes how her main rival seems to be melting away like sugar in this part of the year, allowing her to increase the point difference at the top almost without competing. The premature stumbles of an Aryna Sabalenka who is inconsistent offer her a wonderful lifeline, though Rybakina wants to do her part and not think about what her pursuers do. This was the topic of her discussion before the Chinese tournament, revealing what her great goal is until the end of the season:

Elena Rybakina press conference Speaking about returning to Ningbo, she said Wonderful memories of the city last year Her goal for this season is to maintain her world No. 1 ranking. She will be giving it her all in the coming weeks, focusing on health and fitness management. https://t.co/YSOL7fJEEk

— Sebastien G. (@sebsharfam2) October 18, 2026

"It's great to be back here in Ningbo. I have great memories of this tournament, and I hope to win it again. Right now, I feel that the most important thing for me is to finish the season as world number one. I need to give it my all in the couple of weeks left, as the season, while very successful, has also been very long. Now I am focusing on my health, trying to deal with everything related to physical condition and match fatigue, to finish the season strong."

How realistic is this goal for the Kazakh? At this moment, the odds are quite high... and a victory in Ningbo could boost them. Right now, Elena leads Aryna by almost 1,000 points in the WTA Race: 7503 units compared to the 6560 of the Belarusian who, to make matters worse, will not participate in this tournament, giving Rybakina the opportunity to secure a significant cushion of points that could bolster her stay at the top of the ranking. 

There will only be one final event after the Asian tournament, the WTA Finals, this year in Indian Wells, where Sabalenka will arrive without confidence and where she will need to almost achieve a perfect score (along with a catastrophe from Rybakina) to steal the top podium spot at the last moment. Managing health issues and bearing the weight of expectations to accumulate points that could be crucial: the focus returns to Elena... and women's tennis savors the return to competition of its current queen.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El gran objetivo de Elena Rybakina en el final de temporada