New queen. The Kazakh tennis player Elena Rybakina has moved to the top of the WTA rankings, thus ousting the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka from number 1 after 99 weeks.
Rybakina, who beat Sabalenka in three sets on Saturday in the final of the 2026 US Open, thus becomes the 30th woman in history to reach the top of the WTA rankings.
According to the ‘ranking’ made public this Monday by the Association of Professional Tennis Players, Rybakina has 9,901 points compared to Sabalenka’s 7,875 and American Jessica Pegula’s 7,265, who is one place ahead of her compatriot Coco Gauff, with 7,244.
Pegula and Gauff fell in the New York semifinals to Sabalenka and Rybakina, respectively.
The top 10 is completed by the Russian Mirra Andreeva, 19 years old, fifth with 5,743 units; the Czech Linda Noskova, sixth with 5,328; the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, seventh with 4,809; the Czech Karolina Muchova, eighth with 4,683; the Polish Iga Swiatek, ninth with 4,619; and the Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, tenth with 3,980.
The first Spaniard in the world ranking is Cristina Bucsa, 44th, with 1,164 points, one position behind Yuliia Starodubtseva, with 1,165 points, and one ahead of the Czech Karolina Pliskova, who has 1,121. Bucsa drops four places.
Another Spaniard, Paula Badosa, is 70th, with 955 points, and climbs 17 positions in the WTA table, while Jessica Bouzas is among the best hundred by climbing twelve positions and is 93rd with 809 points.
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Rybakina new champion
The Kazakh Elena Rybakina won the 2026 United States Open, her third ‘big’ after Wimbledon in 2022 and Australia in 2026, dethroning the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, from whom she also snatches world number 1.
Rybakina defeated Sabalenka, double champion in New York (2024 and 2025), 6-4, 5-7 and 6-2 in 2 hours and 21 minutes. It is the second ‘big’ that Rybakina wins this year against Sabalenka after the Australian Open.
Rybakina has won five of the seven finals she has played against Sabalenka, despite the Belarusian having a favorable record of 10-8 in total matches.
Sabalenka had something to prove in the final. The Belarusian, who confessed herself “desperate” to win, wanted to defeat the new number one and extend her reign in New York.
But it was immediately clear that this pressure was going to take its toll on him. Rybakina came out on court much more focused, shining in the style of play they share, with powerful serves and short points.
Sabalenka began to defend break points very early in the match, playing hard with second serves and accumulating errors. The break – the only one of the set – fell in the fifth game, with Rybakina consolidating for 4-2.
For her part, the Muscovite, a nationalized Kazakh, had problems in that first set on the first serve (27% inside), but she won 88% of those who entered and 68% on the second, unassailable. That first set ended 6-4, with Sabalenka very nervous and mentally out of the match.
Urgency took hold of Sabalenka as the second set progressed without Rybakina letting up on serve. The golden opportunity came to him with 5-4 in favor and 15-40, two set points (his first break opportunities) to tie the final.
Rybakina saved both of them and the game, but Sabalenka, in her best moment of the final, converted the third set point she had minutes later to make it 7-5, avoiding a dangerous tie-break and taking the final to a third set.
After the second set, Rybakina took a moment in the locker room and when she returned she reacted better to the stage that had just opened. She broke Sabalenka’s serve in the third game, which she consolidated on serve for 3-1.
The Kazakh gave her rival no option and broke her serve again for 5-2. On serve, with Sabalenka delivered and with an ‘ace’, Rybakina was crowned in New York.
Rybakina finished the match with 36 winners and 24 unforced errors, to Sabalenka’s 32 winners and 35 errors. In addition, Rybakina won 71% of points on serve and 39% on rest, which gave her up to twelve break opportunities.
The US Open is the 14th title of Rybakina’s career, third ‘big’ (only Roland Garros missing) and third in 2026 after Australia and Stuttgart.
Sabalenka, for her part, is completing a disappointing season despite having also won three titles in Brisbane, Indian Wells and Miami. The Belarusian has lost number one after 99 weeks, the finals in Australia and New York and has fallen prematurely at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
(With report from Albert Traver, from EFE)
