Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina has reached the top of the women’s world tennis rankings for the first time in her career after winning the US Open, the final Grand Slam tournament of the season.
Rybakina moved past Belarusian star Aryna Sabalenka, who had held the No. 1 position for 99 consecutive weeks since reaching the top on October 21, 2024.
Rybakina Settles the Ranking Battle in New York
Rybakina entered the US Open knowing that reaching the semifinals would be enough to take the world No. 1 ranking from Sabalenka.
However, the Kazakh player went further by reaching the final and defeating Sabalenka in three sets to claim the title and secure the top ranking for the first time.
Rybakina had previously missed two opportunities to take the No. 1 spot during the French Open and Wimbledon, but finally completed the move to the top during the US tournament.
Rybakina Builds a Lead of More Than 2,000 Points
Rybakina earned 1,760 points from her US Open triumph after entering the tournament defending only 240 points from last year’s edition.
Sabalenka, meanwhile, lost 700 points from her ranking total, allowing Rybakina to establish a significant lead at the top.
Rybakina now has 9,901 points, compared with 7,875 points for Sabalenka.
American Jessica Pegula sits third with 7,265 points, while compatriot Coco Gauff is fourth with 7,244 points, just 21 points behind Pegula.
Marta Kostyuk Enters the Top 10
The latest rankings also brought several changes among the leading players.
Russia’s Mirra Andreeva and Czech player Linda Noskova retained fifth and sixth place respectively.
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina climbed two positions to reach seventh, while Czech player Karolina Muchova and Poland’s Iga Swiatek each dropped one place to eighth and ninth.
The new rankings also saw Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk enter the top 10 for the first time in her career after moving up to 10th place.
Top 10 Women’s Tennis Players
- Elena Rybakina – 9,901 points
- Aryna Sabalenka – 7,875 points
- Jessica Pegula – 7,265 points
- Coco Gauff – 7,244 points
- Mirra Andreeva
- Linda Noskova
- Elina Svitolina
- Karolina Muchova
- Iga Swiatek
- Marta Kostyuk
Rybakina Reaches a Historic Milestone
Reaching world No. 1 marks a major milestone in Rybakina’s career, particularly because the achievement came alongside another Grand Slam title.
By defeating Sabalenka in the US Open final, Rybakina turned a long-running ranking battle into a historic accomplishment and officially became the world’s top-ranked women’s tennis player for the first time.
When did Elena Rybakina become world No. 1?
She reached the top of the rankings after winning the US Open.
Who was world No. 1 before Rybakina?
Aryna Sabalenka held the top position before Rybakina moved into first place.
How many ranking points does Rybakina have?
Rybakina has 9,901 points at the top of the rankings.
Who entered the top 10 for the first time?
Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk entered the top 10 for the first time in her career.
