NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 12: Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan celebrates with the trophy after defeating Aryna Sabalenka in their Women’s Singles Final match on Day Fourteen of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 12, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
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Elena Rybakina officially ascended to No. 1 in the world on Monday following her U.S. Open victory over two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday.
Rybakina is followed in the Top 5 by Sabalenka, Americans Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff and Russian Mirra Andreeva. Pegula (to Sabalenka) and Gauff (to Rybakina) both fell in the U.S. Open semifinals.
Rybakina, who was born in Moscow but now represents Kazakhstan, also became the first to qualify for the WTA Finals in Indian Wells.
“Actually I didn’t even realize that I also qualified,” Rybakina told wtatennis.com after the U.S. Open final, where she picked up $5.5 million for winning her first U.S. Open and third major title. “It feels amazing, and the achievement of becoming No. 1 at first was so stressful. Now, also winning the title here, it’s tough to believe, and I still need a couple of days.”
Rybakina beat Sabalenka in the WTA Finals final a year ago and then beat her in the Australian Open final and the U.S. Open final. Simply by reaching the U.S. Open semifinals, she supplanted Sabalenka as world No. 1 after 99 weeks with Sabalenka atop the rankings.
“It’s great to be in the final eight again,” Rybakina said. “A bit of a change in the calendar at the end of the year. I definitely have great memories from Indian Wells. It’s going to be different, but I definitely will enjoy it and hopefully do well.”
Rybakina had a message for the people of Kazakhstan, where tennis growing in popularity and more children are playing.
“I want to share this moment with all the people in Kazakhstan who supported, who watched,” Rybakina said. “Especially kids. I always say there are so many kids that are coming to the tennis facilities. They all want to play tennis, which is a great thing. [I just want to] celebrate such an achievement for the country all together.”
Rybakina, 27, will now be the hunted entering the WTA Finals Nov. 8-15 and the Australian Open in January, but she wants to keep adding more big trophies.
“The goal is always the biggest tournaments — you want to win them — so the Grand Slams and just try to find the balance and be stable,” she said. “We will see what’s going to happen, but it’s still a lot of work to do.
“The job’s never done, to be honest.”
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