Elena Rybakina is guaranteed to finish the year as the WTA’s number one after defeating Yulia Putintseva in the Tokyo Open quarterfinals.
The Kazakh defeated her fellow Kazakhstan native in straight sets (6-2,6-3), meaning her points total for the year is now untouchable for her closest competitor, Aryna Sabalenka.
After claiming the Ningbo title last week, Rybakina now has four titles in 2026. She is undoubtedly the favourite to capture the WTA 500 Tokyo title, which will add to a stellar year of success for the world number one.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn an on-court interview, Rybakina said, “It means a lot (to be world number one). This is something we worked for with the team.”
“So many great players, and we are all really close to each other, and I’m happy that now, with last week and today’s win, I made it possible to secure number one at the end of the year.”
“It’s an amazing achievement, and hopefully we can continue this way next year.”
Rybakina continues to go from strength to strength. After the tournament in Tokyo, she will look to defend her WTA Finals title at Indian Wells, starting November 8th.
On top of the tennis world
Where players like Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka have faltered, Rybakina has consistently performed, claiming two Grand Slams and hauls of points across other tournaments.
She started 2026 in the best way possible. Winning the Australian Open defeating Sabalenka in the final to claim her second slam. Four years after claiming her maiden slam at Wimbledon in 2022.
The Australian Open champion claimed her 400th career victory in the Qatar Open while reaching the quarter-finals of the event.
A strong showing in Indian Wells gained her a great number of points. She reached the final in the Californian Desert but lost to Sabalenka in the final, who went on to complete the Sunshine Double.
Clay season started superbly for Rybakina, claiming her second title of 2026 by winning the Stuttgart Open. She defeated Karolina Muchova in the WTA 500 tournament. She may also face Muchova at the WTA Finals.
Rybakina struggled in Roland Garros, but her closest competitors for the number one ranking also fell to early defeats in the competition.
The 27-year-old is usually a master on grass but suffered a heap of early-round exits, which hampered her chances of becoming the world number one after Wimbledon.
The American-Hard-Court Swing was where Rybakina’s form reached new heights. Swiatek’s form was rock bottom, eliminating her chances of catching Sabalenka. The Belarusian was also really out of form going into the month.
Rybakina flew through the rounds at the Canadian Masters 1000 but suffered from a few injuries, leading her to retire in the final.
There was huge concern in Rybakina’s camp that she had suffered an Achilles injury, which could’ve left her out of competing for her future successes.
Thankfully for Rybakina, the scare was manageable but hampered her training for the US Open.
Despite this, the world number one dominated her opponents on the way to the final, where she outshone and frustrated Sabalenka. Claiming her second Grand Slam win over Sabalenka in 2026 and achieving her dream of becoming world number one.
Momentum is on the side of the Kazakh; however, 2027 will pose a new challenge for Rybakina as the target is on her back, and she will defend two Grand Slams and many other high-point-scoring tournament runs.
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