Elena Rybakina secures world No. 1 ranking at US Open

Elena Rybakina will become the new women's world No. 1 after reaching the US Open semi-finals with a three-set victory over Zheng Qinwen. The 27-year-old recovered from a set down to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 and will replace Aryna Sabalenka when the WTA rankings are updated on Monday, according to BBC Sport.

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The achievement makes Rybakina the first player from Kazakhstan, male or female, to lead the world singles rankings. She will be the 30th woman to hold the WTA No. 1 position and the second-oldest player to reach the top spot for the first time, the BBC reported.

Rybakina had not dropped a set in New York before Zheng took the opener in their quarter-final. She responded emphatically in the second set, then saved a break point in the decider before completing the comeback. The result also guaranteed that she advanced far enough to overtake Sabalenka regardless of what happens during the rest of the tournament.

Sabalenka's latest uninterrupted spell at No. 1 began on October 21, 2024 and lasted 99 weeks, the sixth-longest consecutive reign in WTA history. Rybakina entered the US Open as one of three players capable of challenging the Belarusian's position, alongside Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff. The ranking race required Sabalenka's rivals to win the title while Rybakina fell before the last four, but her quarter-final victory removed those scenarios.

The rise follows a sustained run of results for Rybakina. She ended 2025 by winning the Ningbo Open and WTA Finals, beating Sabalenka in the season-ending final. In 2026 she defeated Sabalenka again to win the Australian Open, her second Grand Slam title, and later won in Stuttgart. She also reached the Toronto final before an ankle problem forced her to retire from her Cincinnati quarter-final.

Despite that issue, Rybakina has won 47 of 60 matches this season, with 34 victories on hard courts and a 13-7 record against top-20 opponents, according to the BBC. Her 394 aces are the highest total on the WTA Tour in 2026. Rybakina is due to face the winner of the quarter-final between Gauff and Mirra Andreeva, while Sabalenka is scheduled to play Pegula in the other semi-final.