Sports · Tennis · 16 hrs ago
Rybakina faces a 500-point ranking drop as Wuhan Open begins
The Wuhan Open is the final WTA 1000 tournament of the 2026 season.
Women’s rankings use points earned over a rolling 52-week period, so older points come off as new tournaments take place.
Because last year’s Wuhan Open was held a week earlier, players are not losing those points during this year’s event; many are losing points from other tournaments or from their 18th-best result.
Elena Rybakina will lose 500 points because she won the Ningbo Open a year ago, and she is missing Wuhan with a foot injury.
Aryna Sabalenka, who is ranked behind Rybakina, is not losing points this week and can reduce the gap by advancing in Wuhan.
Coco Gauff, last year’s Wuhan champion, is not competing this time, and the 1,000 points from that win were already removed during the China Open.
The tournament results can therefore change the rankings, including the race for the No.
2 spot.
Elena Rybakina is set to lose 500 ranking points as the Wuhan Open begins.
She will not play in Wuhan because of a foot injury.
The points come from her Ningbo Open title 12 months ago and are being removed under the WTA’s rolling 52-week ranking system.
Rybakina’s lead over Aryna Sabalenka in the live rankings is expected to fall from 2,211 points to 1,711.
Sabalenka can narrow the gap further with a strong result in Wuhan.
- Who
- Elena Rybakina is set to lose ranking points; Aryna Sabalenka could reduce the gap.
- What
- Rybakina is due to lose 500 points from her ranking.
- When
- As the 2026 Wuhan Open begins.
- Where
- Wuhan Open.
- Why
- The WTA removes points earned 12 months earlier under its rolling 52-week ranking system. Rybakina won the Ningbo Open a year ago.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
No direct quotes in the coverage so far.
Rybakina won the Ningbo Open and earned 500 ranking points.
Points from the 2025 Wuhan Open were removed from the live rankings.
Rybakina is set to lose the 500 points from her Ningbo Open title.
- Rybakina’s points due to drop
- 500
- Rybakina’s lead over Sabalenka before the drop
- 2,211 points
- Rybakina’s lead over Sabalenka after the drop
- 1,711 points
- Ranking system
- Rolling 52-week cumulative system
- Rybakina’s reason for missing Wuhan
- Foot injury
Sources
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