Elena Rybakina has officially reached the top of women's tennis, beginning her first reign as the PIF WTA World No. 1 after a memorable US Open campaign.
The 27-year-old became the first player from Kazakhstan, male or female, to reach No. 1 when the latest rankings were released on Monday, September 14. She is also the 30th woman in WTA history to reach the top spot.
Rybakina's rise to the summit was capped by an impressive run in New York, where she won her first US Open title by defeating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the final.
The victory gave Rybakina her third Grand Slam title, following her Wimbledon triumph in 2022 and Australian Open success earlier this year. It also ended Sabalenka's 99-week run at the top of the rankings.
Her achievement is even more remarkable considering the uncertainty surrounding her participation just weeks earlier.
Rybakina retired from her Cincinnati quarter-final against Iga Swiatek on August 20 because of an Achilles injury and then spent seven days without picking up a racquet. She only returned to practice shortly before travelling to New York.
Source: Athlon Sports
Despite the difficult preparation, Rybakina steadily found her rhythm at Flushing Meadows. She reached the semi-finals without dropping a set before overcoming Zheng Qinwen in three sets to secure the No. 1 ranking.
She then produced another composed performance against Sabalenka in the final. After taking the opening set, Rybakina saw Sabalenka fight back to level the match, but regained control in the deciding set to claim the biggest title of her career on the New York stage.
The victory also highlighted the consistency behind Rybakina's rise. Alongside her Australian Open title, she won the Stuttgart WTA 500 event and reached the finals at Indian Wells and Toronto this season. She also entered the US Open as the tour leader in aces, with more than 350 for the year.
Now officially ranked No. 1, Rybakina enters a new chapter of her career with three Grand Slam titles already on her résumé.
After overcoming an injury scare and defeating Sabalenka to lift her first US Open trophy, the Kazakh star has arrived at the top of the rankings in the most convincing way possible.
