Elena Rybakina - World No. 1

Elena Andreyevna Rybakina (born 17 June 1999 in Moscow) is a Kazakh professional tennis player and the world No. 1. She is the champion of Wimbledon 2022, the Australian Open 2026 and the 2026 US Open, and the winner of the 2025 WTA Finals. In September 2026 she became the first player from Kazakhstan to top the world rankings.

This is an unofficial fan project. We update the news feed, match results and ranking position every day, and maintain a reference guide to her career - from her biography to her racquet and gear.

• October 30, 2026 Top storyFitnessTournaments

  Rybakina withdraws from Tokyo before the quarterfinal with a neck injury

  On 30 October Elena Rybakina withdrew from the WTA 500 Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo before her quarterfinal against Leylah Fernandez. The Canadian received a walkover into the semifinals, where she will play lucky loser Kamilla Rakhimova. According to the WTA, the reason is a neck injury. In her statement Rybakina explained that inflammation and pain in her neck had been affecting her ability to play at her best, called it a very difficult decision and said she hopes to be back in Tokyo next year. A day earlier she beat Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 6-3 and secured the year-end world No. 1 ranking for the first time in her career. Walkovers do not count in the head-to-head, so Rybakina still leads Fernandez 4-2. Next on her calendar is the WTA Finals in Indian Wells on 8–15 November, where she is the defending champion; how the injury affects her participation has not been announced yet.

  Source: WTA, Tennis Explorer
• October 29, 2026RankingMatches

  Rybakina beats Putintseva in Tokyo and secures year-end No. 1

  On 29 October Elena Rybakina beat Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 6-3 in 1 hour 10 minutes in the second round of the WTA 500 Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. According to the WTA, the win secured the year-end No. 1 ranking for her for the first time in her career. Rybakina never lost serve, saved the only break point she faced in the final game and closed the match with her sixth ace. Afterwards she said matches against Putintseva are always difficult and that the closed roof helped her: the ball flies faster, and such conditions suit her. The head-to-head is now 3-2 to Rybakina, and her winning streak has reached five matches. In the quarterfinals she will face Leylah Fernandez, whom she beat in the Ningbo final: the Canadian defeated Elise Mertens 6-2, 7-6(8). The time of the 30 October match will be known once the WTA publishes the order of play.

  Source: WTA, Tennis Explorer
• October 28, 2026RankingTournaments

  Rybakina one win away from finishing the year as WTA world No. 1

  According to the WTA, Elena Rybakina needs to win one more match to guarantee the year-end No. 1 ranking for the first time in her career. The chance comes as early as Tokyo: she is the top seed at the WTA 500 Toray Pan Pacific Open and will face Yulia Putintseva in the second round. According to Tennis Explorer, the match is scheduled for 29 October; it is not on the 28 October order of play, and the schedule for the 29th has not been published yet. If she does not win in Tokyo, one match win at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells, which start on 8 November, will be enough. Before Tokyo she won the Ningbo title, dropping one set: the WTA notes it was her first trophy as world No. 1 and the first successful title defence of her career. It is Rybakina's 15th career title and her fourth of the 2026 season, the most of any player on tour. In the 26 October rankings she has 9,501 points; second-placed Aryna Sabalenka has 7,550.

  Source: WTA, Tennis Explorer
• October 27, 2026TournamentsMatches

  Rybakina to face Putintseva in the Tokyo second round

  On 27 October Yulia Putintseva, who reached the Toray Pan Pacific Open main draw through qualifying, beat Maria Sakkari in the first round 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. She now meets Elena Rybakina: the tournament's top seed had a first-round bye. According to Tennis Explorer, the second-round match is scheduled for 29 October; it is not on the WTA order of play published for 28 October, and the exact time will be known once the WTA releases the next day's schedule. Tokyo is four hours ahead of Astana. The head-to-head between the two Kazakhstan players stands at 2-2: Putintseva won their first two matches, in 2020 and 2021, and Rybakina the last two, in Madrid in 2024 and Miami in 2026. The win over Sakkari is already Putintseva's third at the event, after two qualifying victories. Tokyo is Rybakina's last tournament before the WTA Finals, where she is the defending champion.

  Source: WTA, Tennis Explorer

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Player at a glance

• Full nameElena Andreyevna Rybakina
• Born17 June 1999, Moscow
• RepresentsKazakhstan (since 2018)
• Height1.84 m
• CoachStefano Vukov
• Lives inDubai, UAE
• Grand Slam titlesWimbledon 2022, Australian Open 2026, US Open 2026
• Career prize moneyover $35.3 million

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