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.

September 14, 2026RankingTournaments

Source: WTA, Yahoo Sports

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Tokyo: withdrawal before the quarterfinal

Tokyo · WTA 500 · 26 October – 1 November

On 30 October Rybakina withdrew from the Tokyo tournament before her quarterfinal against Leylah Fernandez. According to the WTA, the reason is a neck injury: inflammation and pain are stopping her from playing at her best. A day earlier, by beating Yulia Putintseva, she secured the year-end world No. 1 ranking.

Next on the calendar is the WTA Finals in Indian Wells, 8–15 November. How the injury affects her participation has not been announced yet.

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