Sports · Tennis · 6 hrs ago
Elena Rybakina secures year-end No 1 ranking
Elena Rybakina is guaranteed to finish 2026 as world No 1 in women's tennis.
She took the top spot in September after winning the US Open, ending Aryna Sabalenka's run at No 1.
A win at the Pan Pacific Open in Japan gave Rybakina enough ranking points to secure the year-end position.
She beat qualifier Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 6-3 in the second round to reach the quarter-finals.
Sabalenka can no longer overtake her before the season ends, even with the WTA Finals still to come.
Rybakina is the 17th woman to finish a season No 1 since the WTA rankings began in 1975.
Elena Rybakina is guaranteed to finish 2026 as the WTA year-end No 1 after reaching the quarter-finals of the Pan Pacific Open.
Her win over Yulia Putintseva in the second round made it mathematically impossible for Aryna Sabalenka to catch her.
Rybakina officially became world No 1 on 14 September, after ending Sabalenka’s 99-week run at the top.
She won the Australian Open and the US Open in 2026, according to the reports.
Rybakina is the 17th woman to finish a WTA season as year-end No 1 since the rankings began in 1975.
- Who
- Elena Rybakina, the Kazakh tennis player.
- What
- She secured the 2026 WTA year-end No 1 ranking.
- When
- 29 October 2026.
- Where
- At the Pan Pacific Open in Japan, where her second-round win secured the ranking.
- Why
- Her points lead meant Aryna Sabalenka could no longer overtake her before the year ended.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Rybakina won the Ningbo Open and then beat Sabalenka to win the WTA Finals.
Rybakina beat Sabalenka in the final to win her second Grand Slam title.
Rybakina officially took over as world No 1.
Rybakina won the Ningbo Open after an early exit at the China Open.
Rybakina beat Yulia Putintseva at the Pan Pacific Open, securing the year-end No 1 ranking.
- Year-end ranking
- No 1 in 2026
- Pan Pacific Open second-round score
- 6-2, 6-3 against Yulia Putintseva
- Rybakina’s Live WTA Race points
- 8,001
- Sabalenka’s Live WTA Race points
- 6,550
- Ranking lead after the Pan Pacific quarter-final
- 1,511 points
- Year-end No 1 milestone
- 17th woman to achieve it since 1975
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What people are saying
bothering me for a long period of time
under control
wasn't great