Elena Rybakina earns world number one ranking after US Open victory

The new world No. 1 of women’s tennis defeated Aryna Sabalenka in a three-set thriller at the US Open to win her third Grand Slam title

US Open champion’s relationship with her previously banned coach remains under spotlight despite her rise to the top In the bitter aftermath of her straight-sets defeat by Elena Rybakina at the WTA Finals last November, an inconsolable Aryna Sabalenka walked over to her courtside player box and slumped into a chair. Sabalenka had been completely overpowered by her opponent, a strange and unusual feeling for such a powerful player, and she was seething. Sabalenka eventually settled on a popular Russian idiom to explain Rybakina’s untouchable form, which she believed was fortunately timed: “Once a year, even a stick shoots,” she said. That stick, it turns out, has spent the past year shooting straight at Sabalenka in every significant match. Rybakina’s dominant performance in Riyadh was a clear warning and she has dominated the hard-court grand slam tournaments this year, defeating Sabalenka in the Australian Open and US Open finals. Continue reading...

Elena Rybakina warned her rivals she is far from finished after becoming world number one and winning the US Open. The 27-year-old from Kazakhstan beat two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s Flushing Meadows final.

Elena Rybakina is the undisputed best WTA player on the planet. The Kazakhstani star snatched the world number one ranking from Aryna Sabalenka earlier this...

2026 has been the year of Elena Rybakina. The Kazakhstani star claimed her second Grand Slam title of the season on Saturday evening after defeating...