It's official: Rybakina will end 2026 as the number one in the world

What was once merely a formality is now confirmed: Elena Rybakina will be the world number one for the remainder of the season. The Kazakh, who practically sealed her reign after winning the WTA 500 in Ningbo, confirmed her position at the top of the WTA ranking by advancing to the quarter-finals of the WTA 500 in Tokyo after defeating her compatriot Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 6-3.

Thus, her points lead over Aryna Sabalenka is large enough to prevent a final push from the Belarusian at the WTA Finals, which will take place in a few weeks in Indian Wells. Nevertheless, Minsk's chances were minimal, as Rybakina would have needed to lose all her group matches and become the champion, something hard to envision given her inconsistent performance on the Asian tour.

Rybakina concludes her best year as a professional with two Grand Slams and the number one spot in the WTA ranking

“Ending the year as the number 1 in the PIF WTA ranking for the first time is an incredibly special moment for me. I am very proud of what I have achieved this season and the consistency I have demonstrated throughout the year. I want to thank my team, my sponsors, my family, and everyone who has supported me during this time. Now I look forward to competing in the WTA Finals and hopefully finishing the season on a high note,” said the 27-year-old tennis player in statements collected by the WTA.

Indeed, Rybakina has closed out the best year of her career. She began it by lifting her second Grand Slam at the Australian Open, and then faced the best version of Sabalenka in the finals of Indian Wells and Miami. Nonetheless, she started the clay court season in the best possible way: by winning the title at the WTA 1000 in Stuttgart.

Finishing the year at the 🔝 Elena Rybakina will end 2026 at the summit of the PIF WTA Rankings! She's achieved this feat for the very first time, and will be presented with the trophy during the FAGE WTA Finals Indian Wells in two weeks' time 👏 @PIF_en | #PIFWTARankings https://t.co/7KRR4OSvsL

— wta (@WTA) October 29, 2026

From there, her game dipped on the clay courts, leading to a surprising loss in the third round of Wimbledon. Even so, she took advantage of Sabalenka's irregularity and gradually closed the gap on the Belarusian. However, everything could have gone awry at the WTA 1000 in Cincinnati, where an Achilles tendon issue forced her to withdraw in the quarter-finals and cast doubt on her presence at the US Open, where she could potentially rise to first place.

Nevertheless, she pushed through, and it paid off as she became the new world number one after defeating Sabalenka in an epic final to also lift the US Open, marking her third Grand Slam.

But the season didn't end in New York; there was still an Asian tour where everything could change again. However, there was little drama as Sabalenka fell in the second round of Beijing and in the first round of Wuhan, clearing the path for Rybakina, who confirmed her standing this week in Tokyo.

Once her world number one status was mathematically confirmed for the rest of the season, the WTA announced that Elena Rybakina would receive the trophy as world number one at the upcoming WTA Finals in Indian Wells.
 

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Ya es oficial: Rybakina terminará el 2026 como número uno del mundo