Everything that matters about Elena Rybakina: match results, ranking scenarios, injuries, interviews and verified social media posts. The feed is updated daily and every entry carries its source so you can check it yourself.
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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 - RankingMatches
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 - RankingTournaments
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 - TournamentsMatches
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 - RankingTournaments
Rybakina spends a seventh week at No. 1 and starts the Tokyo event
In the WTA rankings of 26 October Elena Rybakina remains world No. 1 for a seventh straight week. She has 9,501 points; Aryna Sabalenka is second with 7,550, a gap of 1,951 points, and Mirra Andreeva is third (6,306). This week Rybakina plays the WTA 500 Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, held from 26 October to 1 November. She is the top seed and has a first-round bye; in the second round she will face the winner of Yulia Putintseva (a qualifier) and Maria Sakkari. The date and time of the match will be known once the order of play is published; Tokyo is four hours ahead of Astana. Before the start Belinda Bencic (right ankle injury) and Maja Chwalinska (left thigh injury) withdrew from the event. Tokyo is Rybakina's last tournament before the WTA Finals at Indian Wells, which begin on 8 November and where she is the defending champion.
Source: WTA, Tennis Explorer - TournamentsMatches
Rybakina defends her Ningbo title: 6-2, 6-2 over Leylah Fernandez in the final
On 25 October Elena Rybakina won the WTA 500 event in Ningbo, beating Canada's Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 6-2 in the final in 1 hour 16 minutes. According to the WTA, she never lost her serve and saved all four break points she faced. In the quarterfinal Rybakina beat Katarzyna Kawa 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, and in the semifinal Diana Shnaider 6-3, 7-5. It is the first successful title defence of her career, her fourth trophy of the season - more than any other player in 2026 - and the 15th of her career. She is now eight wins from eight matches in Ningbo. After the final Rybakina said Ningbo had become a special place for her and that the win gives her extra motivation for the rest of the season. The champion receives 500 ranking points and $185,500 in prize money. Her next event is Tokyo, where she is the top seed.
Source: WTA, AP, Tennis Explorer - TournamentsMatches
Rybakina reaches the Ningbo quarterfinals as Kudermetova retires at 5-0
On 22 October Elena Rybakina reached the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 event in Ningbo. In the second round qualifier Polina Kudermetova retired at 0-5 in the first set: she called for the physio at 0-3, and the official WTA draw lists a shoulder problem as the reason. After the match Rybakina wished her opponent a speedy recovery and noted that conditions in Ningbo are not easy and the balls are quite heavy. In the quarterfinals the world No. 1 and defending champion will face Katarzyna Kawa of Poland, another qualifier, who beat fifth seed Belinda Bencic 7-5, 6-2 in the round of 16. According to the WTA schedule the match will be fifth on Center Court on 23 October, where play begins at 11:00 Ningbo time (08:00 in Astana). Reaching the quarterfinals is worth 108 ranking points; in Ningbo Rybakina is defending 500 points from last year's title.
Source: WTA, AP, Tennis Explorer - TournamentsMatches
Rybakina learns her Ningbo opponent: Polina Kudermetova in the second round
On 20 October, in the first round of the WTA 500 event in Ningbo, qualifier Polina Kudermetova beat Cristina Bucsa 7-6(5), 6-2. That settled Elena Rybakina's first opponent: the world No. 1 and defending Ningbo champion is the top seed and had a first-round bye. According to the WTA draw, their second-round match (round of 16) will be played on Thursday, 22 October; the exact time will be known once the order of play is published. Ningbo is three hours ahead of Astana, so day matches there fall in the morning Kazakhstan time. A win would put Rybakina into the quarterfinals, where she could meet Belinda Bencic (5) or Katarzyna Kawa. The other half of the draw has changed significantly: second seed Iga Swiatek has withdrawn from the tournament with a left thigh injury. This will be Rybakina's first match since she withdrew from the Wuhan Open with a foot injury; there have been no official updates on her fitness since then.
Source: WTA, Tennis Explorer - RankingInterviews
Rybakina is world No. 1 for a sixth week and wants to finish the season on top
In the WTA rankings update of 19 October, Elena Rybakina remained world No. 1 for a sixth consecutive week. She has 9,196 points: this week the 500 points for last year's Ningbo title came off. Aryna Sabalenka stays second with 7,550 points, a gap of 1,646 points; Mirra Andreeva is third (6,306). At her pre-tournament press conference in Ningbo, where she is defending the title, Rybakina said that right now it is important for her to try to finish the year as No. 1 and push for a couple more weeks: the season has been successful but long, so she is focusing on her health and managing fitness and matches. There have been no official updates since then on the foot injury that forced her out of the Wuhan Open. In Ningbo, Rybakina is the top seed and starts in the second round: her opponent will be decided on 20 October in the match between Cristina Bucsa and Polina Kudermetova.
Source: WTA, Tennis Explorer, Yahoo Sports - Tournaments
Rybakina is top seed in Ningbo and will start her title defence in the second round
On 18 October the WTA released the draw for the WTA 500 event in Ningbo, which runs from 19 to 25 October. Elena Rybakina, the world No. 1 and defending champion, is seeded first and has a first-round bye. In the second round she will face the winner of Cristina Bucsa (wildcard) vs Polina Kudermetova (qualifier). Her quarter also includes Belinda Bencic (No. 5 seed) and Jelena Ostapenko, while Iva Jovic (4) is in her half of the draw. Iga Swiatek is seeded second and Marta Kostyuk third; both are in the bottom half, so Rybakina could only meet them in the final. The champion will earn 500 ranking points. Ningbo will be Rybakina's first event since she withdrew from the Wuhan Open with a foot injury; as of 18 October there has been no official statement on her fitness. The date and time of her second-round match will be known once the order of play is published.
Source: WTA, Tennis Explorer - RankingTournaments
Rybakina will stay world No. 1 after Wuhan as Sabalenka exits in the second round
On 14 October Aryna Sabalenka, the top seed at the Wuhan Open, lost her opening match in the second round to American Ann Li - 6:3, 4:6, 6:7(5). Elena Rybakina is missing Wuhan with a foot injury, and this week she drops 500 points from last year's Ningbo title. Yet even a Wuhan title (1,000 points) would not have let Sabalenka overtake her: in the 12 October rankings Rybakina has 9,696 points and Sabalenka 7,550. After the Belarusian's exit, Rybakina will remain No. 1 in the 19 October update - a sixth straight week - with a lead of more than 1,500 points. Her next scheduled event is the Ningbo Open (19–25 October), where she is the defending champion. As of 14 October there is no official word on whether she has recovered in time for Ningbo.
Source: Tennis Explorer, Sports.kz, WTA - RankingTournaments
Rybakina spends a fifth week at WTA No. 1, 2,146 points clear of Sabalenka
In the WTA rankings update of 12 October, released after the China Open, Elena Rybakina remained world No. 1 with 9,696 points. It is her fifth week at the top: she first rose to No. 1 on 14 September after winning the US Open. Aryna Sabalenka is second with 7,550 points, 2,146 behind. Mirra Andreeva moved up to third (6,371). This week Rybakina is missing the Wuhan Open (12–18 October), from which she withdrew with a lower-leg and foot injury. According to the WTA schedule, her next events are two WTA 500 tournaments: Ningbo (19–25 October), where she is the defending champion, and the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo (26 October - 1 November), where the WTA announced on 1 October that she would be the top seed. As of 13 October there has been no official word on whether she has recovered in time for Ningbo.
Source: WTA, Tennis Explorer - TournamentsInterviews
Rybakina confirms she will play the WTA Finals in Indian Wells
Elena Rybakina has confirmed that she will play the WTA Finals, to be held in Indian Wells from 8 to 15 November. In a video message on the WTA's official social media accounts, the world No. 1 said she was very happy to qualify and invited fans to come and watch, The Astana Times reports. Rybakina was the first player to secure her place in the field of eight and will return as defending champion: in the 2025 final she beat Aryna Sabalenka 6:3, 7:6(0). On 9 October the WTA announced that Mirra Andreeva and Linda Noskova have also qualified. Together with Rybakina and Sabalenka, four of the eight participants are now known; the remaining places will be decided in the coming weeks. Rybakina's next event on her schedule is the WTA 500 in Ningbo (19–25 October), where she defends her title. As of 11 October there has been no official announcement of a withdrawal.
Source: The Astana Times, WTA - Ranking
Rybakina keeps No. 1 spot in live WTA rankings after China Open
An early exit in Beijing has not cost Elena Rybakina the top spot in the world rankings. According to Tennis365, she started the China Open with 9,901 points, 2,091 clear of Aryna Sabalenka. After her second-round loss to Alina Charaeva, Rybakina dropped 205 points and stands on 9,696 in the live WTA rankings. Sabalenka went out in the third round to Nikola Bartunkova and dropped 325 points compared with her 2025 result: she has 7,485 points, and her deficit to Rybakina has grown to 2,211. In the Race to the WTA Finals, which counts only 2026 points, Rybakina is also first with 7,502 points against Sabalenka's 6,550. The official ranking including the China Open will be published after the tournament ends: the Beijing final is on 11 October. Rybakina's next event is the WTA 500 in Ningbo (19–25 October), where she defends her 2025 title.
Source: Tennis365, Sports.kz - TournamentsFitness
Rybakina withdraws from the Wuhan Open with injury
On 4 October the Wuhan Open announced that Elena Rybakina will not play the WTA 1000 event in Wuhan (12–18 October) because of injury. The decision came a day after her second-round loss to Alina Charaeva at the China Open. In an Instagram story Rybakina apologised to the fans who had been looking forward to seeing her play and said she would take some time to rest and recover. According to the WTA, she has been dealing with a lower leg and foot injury in recent months: it forced her to retire during the Cincinnati quarterfinal. Her next scheduled event is the WTA 500 in Ningbo (19–25 October), where she defends her 2025 title. In Wuhan in 2025 Rybakina reached the quarterfinals.
Source: WTA - TournamentsMatches
Rybakina loses to Alina Charaeva in the China Open second round
Elena Rybakina is out of the China Open in Beijing after her very first match. On 3 October the top seed lost in the second round to Alina Charaeva, ranked No. 118 in the WTA rankings, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6. The match lasted 2 hours 11 minutes: Rybakina took the first set and led 2-1 in the second, but then dropped serve three times. According to the WTA, Rybakina became the second player after Naomi Osaka in 2019 to lose her first match as world No. 1, and Charaeva became the lowest-ranked player since 1975 to come from a set down against the top-ranked player. After the match Rybakina said she had barely had time to rest and recover after the US Open and felt her foot towards the end of the match. In the third round Charaeva will face Sonay Kartal.
Source: WTA, Tennis Majors, Tennis Explorer - TournamentsMatches
Alina Charaeva will be Rybakina's second-round opponent at the China Open
Elena Rybakina's first opponent at the China Open in Beijing has been decided. On 1 October Alina Charaeva beat Yuliia Starodubtseva in the first round, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2. As the top seed, Rybakina had a first-round bye and will start the tournament in the second round. Her match is not on the WTA order of play for Friday, 2 October: the meeting with Charaeva is expected on Saturday, 3 October, with the exact time and court to be known once that day's schedule is published. The winner will reach the third round of the WTA 1000 event. It will be Rybakina's first official match since winning the US Open: on 18 September she withdrew from the Billie Jean King Cup with a left ankle injury, and on 30 September she trained on the courts in Beijing.
Source: WTA, Tennis Majors, Tennis Explorer - TournamentsSocial
Rybakina trains in Beijing ahead of her China Open start
On 30 September Elena Rybakina continued her preparation for her opening match at the China Open with a practice session on the tournament courts in Beijing, Sports.kz reports. On Instagram the world No. 1 posted photos from Beijing with the caption "Back on court and ready for the Asian swing!". This is Rybakina's first tournament since winning the US Open: in September a left ankle injury forced her to withdraw from the Billie Jean King Cup. In Beijing she is the top seed and starts in the second round. Her opponent will be decided on 1 October in the match between Yuliia Starodubtseva (WTA No. 45) and Alina Charaeva (No. 118), and Rybakina will play her first match no earlier than 2 October. After Beijing she plans to play the WTA 1000 in Wuhan and the WTA 500 in Ningbo, where she is defending her 2025 title.
Source: Sports.kz, Instagram @lenarybakina - TournamentsRanking
Rybakina is the top seed at the China Open and will start in the second round
The WTA has published the draw for the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing. Elena Rybakina is the top seed, followed by Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva. As the top seed, Rybakina has a first-round bye and in the second round will face the winner of the match between Yuliia Starodubtseva and Alina Charaeva. The main draw starts on 30 September, and Rybakina will play her first match no earlier than Friday, 2 October. Belinda Bencic, the ninth seed, is in her quarter - a potential quarterfinal opponent. It is Rybakina's first tournament since winning the US Open: on 18 September she withdrew from the Billie Jean King Cup with a left ankle injury, and on 26 September the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation cancelled her press conference in Almaty on doctors' advice. On 27 September it was reported that she had arrived in Beijing. In the WTA rankings of 28 September Rybakina remains world No. 1 with 9,901 points, more than two thousand points ahead of Sabalenka.
Source: WTA, zakon.kz, prosports.kz, sportarena.kz, Sports.ru - US OpenInterviews
Tokayev awards Rybakina the Order of Barys, 3rd class
Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has awarded Elena Rybakina the Order of Barys, 3rd class, the Akorda press service announced on 28 September. The award was given for outstanding sporting achievements and a major contribution to the development and popularisation of tennis in Kazakhstan. The President congratulated Rybakina on her US Open victory and her status as world No. 1, and noted that after her wins children are signing up for tennis sections in large numbers. "Three Grand Slam victories will remain in the annals of tennis forever," Tokayev said. Rybakina thanked the head of state for his support and attention to the development of tennis in Kazakhstan and said she is proud to represent the country on the international stage. She received the award before leaving for Beijing, where the WTA 1000 China Open begins this week.
Source: Акорда, sportarena.kz, Sports.ru - FitnessInterviews
Rybakina's press conference in Almaty cancelled on doctors' advice
The Kazakhstan Tennis Federation has cancelled Elena Rybakina's press conference in Almaty altogether. The meeting with journalists had already been postponed once: it did not take place on 21 September because of her health, and a new date was set for Saturday, 26 September, at the Alatau tennis complex. The day before, the KTF said Rybakina's condition had worsened and doctors had advised her to cancel all activities and keep physical load and contact with people to a minimum; the federation also pointed to a virus that many Almaty residents are currently ill with. No new date for a media meeting has been set. The next tournament on the world No. 1's calendar is the China Open in Beijing: qualifying runs on 28-29 September and the main draw starts on 30 September. According to the WTA as of 26 September, Rybakina is not on the withdrawal list - those who have pulled out include Jessica Pegula and defending champion Amanda Anisimova. There has been no official statement yet on whether she is fit to play in Beijing.
Source: Kazakhstan Tennis Federation, sportarena.kz, WTA - Tournaments
Rybakina confirms Ningbo entry as she defends her title
Elena Rybakina has confirmed she will return in October to the WTA 500 event in Ningbo, where she won the title a year ago. "I'm very happy to announce that I'll be back in Ningbo this year," the tournament's press office quoted her as saying. On 24 September the WTA published the entry list: besides Rybakina, the main draw includes four more Top 10 players - Jessica Pegula, Elina Svitolina, Iga Swiatek and Marta Kostyuk. The tournament runs from 19 to 25 October with a 28-player draw, and the top four seeds get byes into the second round. The champion earns 500 ranking points - exactly what Rybakina is defending from last year, when she beat Ekaterina Alexandrova in the final. Before Ningbo her schedule includes the China Open and the Wuhan Open, and she has already qualified for the WTA Finals.
Source: WTA, sportarena.kz - Tournaments
Kazakhstan without Rybakina lose to Spain in Billie Jean King Cup quarterfinal
Kazakhstan lost to Spain 1-2 in the quarterfinals of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen. Sonja Zhiyenbayeva was beaten by Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 2-6, 2-6, and Yulia Putintseva levelled the tie by defeating Cristina Bucsa 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, but in the deciding doubles Bucsa and Sara Sorribes Tormo beat Anna Danilina and Zhibek Kulambayeva 6-2, 7-5. Elena Rybakina did not travel to Shenzhen: on 18 September she withdrew from the event with a left ankle injury. Spain will face Czechia in the semifinals. The next tournament on Rybakina's calendar is the China Open in Beijing, where she remains entered.
Source: Billie Jean King Cup, Sports.kz - Fitness
Rybakina's Almaty press conference postponed over health issues
Elena Rybakina's press conference in Almaty, scheduled for September 21, has been postponed: the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation press office said the player could not meet journalists due to health issues. The tentative new dates are September 25 or 26. The world No. 1 is spending a week in Kazakhstan; besides the press meeting, her schedule includes a medical examination of her injured left ankle and masterclasses for young players in Astana and Almaty.
Source: Kazakhstan Tennis Federation, sportarena.kz - Tournaments
Rybakina to play a Seoul exhibition on December 26-28
World No. 1 Elena Rybakina will take part in an exhibition tournament in Seoul, held from December 26 to 28, 2026, Zakon.kz reports, citing sportarena.kz and a Yonex Tennis post on Instagram. The announced field also includes Aryna Sabalenka, Mirra Andreeva, Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka and Jasmine Paolini. Exhibition matches are outside the WTA calendar and carry no ranking points; the format, draw and match schedule were not disclosed in the materials found. Rybakina's next official event is the China Open, which starts on September 30: on September 18 she withdrew from the Billie Jean King Cup because of a left ankle injury and needs at least two weeks to recover.
Source: Zakon.kz, Yonex Tennis (Instagram) - FitnessTournaments
Rybakina withdraws from Billie Jean King Cup due to injury
World No. 1 and US Open champion Elena Rybakina announced on Instagram that she will not play for Kazakhstan in the Billie Jean King Cup quarterfinal against Spain on September 23 in Shenzhen. According to the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation, she will need at least two weeks to treat and recover from the left ankle injury she suffered on August 20 in Cincinnati - she played through the US Open on painkillers. Without her, the squad in Shenzhen will be strengthened by Yulia Putintseva, Anna Danilina, Zhibek Kulambayeva and Sonja Zhiyenbayeva.
Source: WTA, Федерация тенниса Казахстана - Tournaments
Rybakina tops the Wuhan Open entry list: the entire Top 10 will play in Wuhan
The WTA has published the entry list for the WTA 1000 tournament in Wuhan, headed by world No. 1 and US Open champion Elena Rybakina. Also entered are Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Mirra Andreeva, Linda Noskova, Elina Svitolina, Karolina Muchova, Iga Swiatek and Marta Kostyuk - that is, the entire Top 10 of the rankings. The tournament runs from 12 to 18 October, the draw takes place on 10 October; the field has 56 players, and the champion receives 1,000 points and $665,000. The defending champion is Gauff, who won last year's edition without dropping a set. For Rybakina, Wuhan is the second consecutive WTA 1000 of the Asian swing after the China Open (30 September - 11 October), for which she is still entered: on 18 September she withdrew from the Billie Jean King Cup because of a left ankle injury.
Source: WTA - US Open
Slovak president receives Rybakina: the country has become her second home
Slovak President Peter Pellegrini met Elena Rybakina at the presidential palace in Bratislava and personally congratulated her on winning the US Open. He noted that the world No. 1 has trained in Slovakia before major tournaments for six years and called the country her second home.
Source: zakon.kz - Tournaments
Rybakina to lead Kazakhstan at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals
Elena Rybakina will play for Kazakhstan at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, held 22-27 September in Shenzhen. Kazakhstan reached the knockout stage of the top eight national teams by beating Canada 3-1 in the qualifiers. The team faces Spain in the quarterfinal on 23 September; the squad also includes Yulia Putintseva, Anna Danilina, Zhibek Kulambayeva and Sonja Zhiyenbayeva.
Source: Kazakhstan Tennis Federation, ESPN - RankingTournaments
Rybakina officially becomes world No. 1 and qualifies for the WTA Finals
The WTA ranking update on 14 September made Elena Rybakina's US Open triumph official: she rose from No. 2 to No. 1, becoming the 30th woman in history to top the rankings and the first from Kazakhstan. Sabalenka, who had held the top spot for 99 straight weeks, dropped below her. The same update also secured Rybakina an early place among the eight at the WTA Finals (8-15 November, Indian Wells), where she is the defending champion.
Source: WTA, Yahoo Sports - Interviews
Rybakina on her 2027 plans: health and scheduling are the main priority
At the press conference after her US Open final win, Elena Rybakina spoke about her priorities for next season. "I'm not getting younger, so the main thing is to keep myself healthy and choose the calendar and training process correctly," she said. According to the player, winning Grand Slam titles remains the goal, but it is just as important to find balance and stability throughout the season.
Source: Tennis Majors - US OpenMatchesRanking
Rybakina beats Sabalenka in the final to win her first US Open title
Elena Rybakina beat Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open final - 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 - to claim her third career Grand Slam title and her first at this tournament. With the ranking update on 14 September, Rybakina becomes world No. 1, taking over from Sabalenka, who had held the top spot for 99 straight weeks.
Source: WTA - US OpenMatches
Rybakina beats Gauff to reach the US Open final
Elena Rybakina came back to beat Coco Gauff in the US Open semifinal 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, dropping the first set before rallying in the second half of the match. It is Rybakina's first career appearance in a US Open final. She will play Aryna Sabalenka for the title on September 12.
Source: WTA, ESPN - US OpenMatches
Tonight, the US Open semifinal: Rybakina against Coco Gauff
The night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium on 10 September holds both women's semifinals: Aryna Sabalenka against Jessica Pegula at 7:00 p.m. and Elena Rybakina against Coco Gauff at 8:30 p.m. New York time - half past midnight UK time. It is Rybakina's first US Open semifinal, and she walks on court already ranked world No. 1.
Source: US Open, ESPN - US OpenMatches
Gauff vs Andreeva decided Rybakina's semifinal opponent
In the US Open quarterfinals Coco Gauff beat Mirra Andreeva 2–6, 7–6(7), 6–2, saving two match points in the second-set tie-break. That win sent the 2023 US Open champion into a semifinal against Rybakina. It was the first time since 1975 that the top four seeds all reached the US Open semifinals.
Source: WTA - RankingUS Open
Rybakina becomes world No. 1 - a first for Kazakhstan
Beating Zheng Qinwen 3–6, 6–1, 6–4 in the US Open quarterfinals mathematically took Elena Rybakina to the top of the WTA rankings. The update that displaces Aryna Sabalenka is published on 14 September 2026. Rybakina is the 30th woman to reach No. 1 since the rankings began in 1975, and the first from Kazakhstan.
Source: WTA, Sports.ru - Interviews
Rybakina on reaching No. 1: “right now it is just a number”
After the quarterfinal she said she had not thought about the ranking during the match and that the battle was mainly “inside myself”. The ranking, she added, is a consequence of the whole season's work.
Source: Sports.ru - US OpenMatches
Rybakina beats Naomi Osaka in the US Open fourth round
Rybakina got past two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka to reach her first quarterfinal in New York. The match was among the most talked-about of the first week.
Source: usopen.org - US OpenMatches
Third round: revenge against Yuliia Starodubtseva
Rybakina beat Yuliia Starodubtseva, the player who had knocked her out in the second round of Roland Garros in May 2026.
Source: US Open - Fitness
Ankle injury in Cincinnati: retirement in the quarterfinals
Rybakina injured her left ankle in the Cincinnati Open quarterfinal against Iga Świątek and had to retire. Her US Open participation was in doubt for a while, but she confirmed her entry and played without visible limitations.
Source: WTA - Tournaments
Toronto final: defeat to Iga Świątek
Rybakina reached the National Bank Open final, beating Naomi Osaka in the quarterfinals and Coco Gauff in the semifinals. Iga Świątek won the title match 6–2, 6–3. The runner-up finish was worth 650 ranking points and brought Rybakina within touching distance of No. 1.
Source: WTA - Social
Social media: the official account is @lenarybakina
The only confirmed personal Instagram account of Elena Rybakina is @lenarybakina (around 910k followers). Accounts such as team_rybakina or rybakina_team and the many fan pages are not official - check the source before quoting anything attributed to her.
Source: Instagram
How we select news
- Primary sources only. The WTA, tournament websites, official accounts and established sports media.
- No anonymous “insiders”. If something is unconfirmed we either leave it out or label it clearly as unverified.
- Social media means official accounts. Her only confirmed personal Instagram account is @lenarybakina.
How this feed works
Each entry carries a date, a topic tag, a short account of what happened and a source. The feed holds the last forty items; older ones drop off as new ones arrive. The topic filter at the top of the page narrows it down to matches, rankings or fitness news only.
Updates happen daily. If nothing significant happened in the past twenty-four hours, no entry appears - the feed is not padded for the sake of it. Dates and scores that could not be confirmed against official sources are left blank rather than filled with a plausible guess.
Posts from social media
Below are posts from the player's verified account. They load from Instagram only after you click: until then the page makes no request to any external service.