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.