Elena Rybakina secured the world No. 1 ranking for the first time in her career on September 11, 2026, by defeating China's Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the US Open quarter-finals. The 27-year-old Kazakh player becomes the 30th different WTA world No. 1 and the first from Kazakhstan to reach the top of the singles standings in either the men's or women's game. Rybakina's ascent to the top ends Aryna Sabalenka's reign of 99 weeks as world No. 1, which began on 21 October 2024 and stands as the sixth-longest streak in WTA history.
Rybakina's path to this milestone began with a dominant fourth-round victory over four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka on September 7, 2026. She defeated Osaka 6-1, 6-4 in 66 minutes on Louis Armstrong Stadium, dropping only four points on her serve throughout the match and striking seven aces and 29 winners. According to Reuters, this quarter-final win was sufficient to guarantee the ranking regardless of whether Sabalenka successfully defended her US Open title.
The gap between the two players stood at just 434 ranking points at the start of the tournament. Rybakina had arrived at the US Open as one of three players who could dethrone Sabalenka, alongside Americans Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff, though the other contenders each needed to win the title and hope Rybakina exited before the semi-finals.
How did Rybakina's season build to this moment?
Rybakina's rise to world No. 1 has coincided with one of the most consistent periods of her career. Her push for the ranking started at the end of 2025, when she clinched the Ningbo Open title and then beat Sabalenka to win the season-ending WTA Finals. She carried that momentum into 2026 by defeating Sabalenka in the Australian Open final to claim her second Grand Slam title, nearly four years after her first at Wimbledon. She also won titles in Stuttgart and was runner-up in Indian Wells and Toronto.
Despite managing a left ankle injury that hindered her movement and prevented her from pushing off properly when serving, Rybakina has maintained remarkable consistency. She has won 47 of her 60 matches so far in 2026, a tally bettered only by American world No. 3 Jessica Pegula with 50 wins on the WTA Tour. Only Pegula can match her tally of 34 wins on hard courts this season.
Rybakina has also won the majority of her matches against the tour's other leading players, winning 13 of her 20 meetings with fellow top-20 competitors. Undoubtedly her biggest weapon is her powerful serve. She has recorded the most aces on the WTA Tour this year, with her total standing at 394 in 2026.
The ankle problem forced her to retire injured from her Cincinnati Open quarter-final against Iga Swiatek on August 30, 2026. Speaking before the US Open, Rybakina admitted her preparation "wasn't great" as she was unable to train for much of the week leading into the tournament. She revealed she could not train for seven days and was unsure how her body would react. "I couldn't do much in the gym movement-wise, so we had to really go day by day," she said. "It's an amazing progress. I'm really glad how everything worked out. We didn't even know if I'm going to be able to play or not. I have a great team. Also, a good doctor on the phone all the time." However, that has not stopped her from achieving the first of her two major goals in New York.
What did Rybakina say about reaching No. 1?
When asked about her pursuit of the top ranking before the quarter-finals, Rybakina expressed her desire to achieve the milestone.
Of course I want it, I don't know anyone who won't want this,she said after her victory over Osaka.
I tried to approach it the same way and do everything I can, and fight to the end of my next match. If I serve as well as I did today, I think I can do well. Let's hope it goes my way.
After securing the ranking, Rybakina downplayed its significance while emphasizing her focus on winning tournaments.
It's just a number right now,the 27-year-old said.
Of course, I'm in the semis so my goal is to win the tournaments which I play, I go just one match at a time. It's an amazing achievement but you know how quickly everything can change in tennis. I just need to focus on my game, try to recover and enjoy tomorrow.
How dominant was Rybakina's serve against Osaka?
Rybakina's serve was at its devastating best against Osaka in the fourth round. She won 87 percent of her first-serve points and delivered a near-flawless serving display, dropping only four points on her serve throughout the entire match. The Australian Open champion opened a double break in the first set and closed it in just 21 minutes, establishing complete dominance.
Although Osaka mounted slightly greater resistance early in the second set, she squandered her only break point opportunity of the entire match. Rybakina then broke to lead 4-3 and comfortably secured the remaining games, with Osaka unable to cope with the depth and power of her opponent's groundstrokes. Speaking after the match, Osaka reflected on the challenge:
The immediate thought that I had in my head when she hit the ace, I was, like, 'well, I can't really do anything about it'. Maybe I could have covered it, but she has a great serve, so she probably would have hit the other way.
Osaka, now 28 years old, offered perspective on her Grand Slam drought, which has extended nearly six years since her 2021 Australian Open victory.
I thought about it, and if I win another Grand Slam, it's not going to change my life. That's kind of crazy that I can say that, because I remember the first Slam that I won, it was, like, a huge whirlwind.She attributed some of her performance issues to physical discomfort during the match.
How did the quarter-final against Zheng unfold?
Rybakina's opponent in the quarter-finals was Zheng Qinwen, the reigning Olympic champion, who produced a remarkable comeback to eliminate former champion Iga Swiatek in the fourth round. Zheng recovered from 5-0 down in the opening set to secure a 7-5, 6-3 victory, continuing a pattern of dramatic comebacks at the tournament after a similar recovery against Madison Keys two days earlier. According to ESPN, Zheng became the fourth women's qualifier in the Open era to reach the US Open quarter-finals and surpassed Li Na for the most quarter-final appearances by a Chinese player at this major, with three total.
Rybakina started slowly against Zheng, who was radiating confidence after her previous victories. In a contest between two of the biggest servers in the world, one sloppy service game from Rybakina marked the difference between them in the opening set. However, the 27-year-old responded brilliantly, finding rhythm behind her destructive serve and dominating the baseline with her easy power to quickly force a third set.
Although Rybakina eased through her service games early in the third set, it was Zheng who generated the first enormous opportunity, earning a break point at 4-3. A tentative forehand approach shot and volley from Rybakina provided Zheng with a straightforward pass, but the Chinese player fired her backhand long. Rybakina immediately slammed the door shut with some excellent serves and completed the victory by rolling through the final three games. As Zheng's final forehand landed in the bottom of the net, Rybakina celebrated this career-defining milestone in a typically understated manner, her expression barely changing as she closed her hand into a fist.
What is Rybakina's coaching history?
Rybakina has worked with coach Stefano Vukov for almost seven years. The pair first worked together from 2019 to 2025 before splitting. Later that year, Vukov was banned from the WTA Tour for breaching its code of conduct, following an independent investigation into his behaviour towards Rybakina. Vukov, who has coached Rybakina since she was a teenager, denied any wrongdoing, and Rybakina said she was never mistreated by him.
Rybakina sought his return to her team at the start of 2025. The Croat successfully appealed the suspension and began working with Rybakina again in August 2025. She reached the US Open fourth round for the first time in her career at her first tournament since reuniting with Vukov, before embarking on the strong end-of-season form which has now propelled her to the pinnacle of the sport.
What happens next?
Rybakina will face either Coco Gauff or Mirra Andreeva in Thursday's semi-finals. According to a BBC Sport report, Sabalenka advanced to the US Open semi-finals by defeating Linda Noskova 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 7-6 (10-7), keeping her title defense alive. Sabalenka will face Jessica Pegula in the other semi-final. The top two players could yet meet in the US Open final, just as they did at this year's Australian Open, where Rybakina prevailed in three sets.
Key Facts:
- Rybakina became world No. 1 for the first time by defeating Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the quarter-finals on September 11, 2026
- She is the first Kazakhstani man or woman to reach the top of the singles standings
- Rybakina defeated Osaka 6-1, 6-4 in the fourth round, winning 87 percent of her first-serve points
- She has won 47 of 60 matches in 2026 and recorded 394 aces, the most on the WTA Tour this year
- Sabalenka's 99-week reign as world No. 1 stands as the sixth-longest streak in WTA history
