Elena Rybakina journey from playing tennis for fun to becoming the WTA world No. 1 is an inspiring story of patience, power, and perseverance.
For years, Elena Rybakina looked like one of tennis’ best-kept secrets. She had the huge serve, the powerful groundstrokes, and the calm personality, but the biggest prize in the rankings continued to stay just out of reach. That changed in New York.
After defeating Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, and 6-4 in the US Open quarter-finals on September 9, Rybakina secured the points needed to become the WTA world No. 1 for the first time in her career. When the official rankings are released on September 14, she will become the first player, male or female, representing Kazakhstan to reach the top of the world rankings. But reaching the summit is only the latest chapter of a journey that began with a girl simply playing tennis after school.
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From Playing for Fun to Chasing a Professional Career
Rybakina was born in Moscow in 1999 and started playing tennis at the age of five. As a youngster, becoming a professional was not even part of the plan. She has recalled that she mostly played because she enjoyed the sport and spending time with friends. It was only around the age of 17 that Rybakina began seriously believing that a professional career could be possible. At that point, she was still a long way from the world’s elite. In early 2018, she was ranked around No. 450.
The breakthrough did not arrive overnight. After competing for Russia as a junior, Rybakina switched her sporting representation to Kazakhstan in 2018. The change gave her an opportunity to build her professional career with greater support, and she began climbing rapidly through the rankings. In 2019, she won her first WTA title in Bucharest and finished the year ranked No. 37, having started it outside the world’s top 200. By the following season, she had broken into the top 20.
When Did Elena Rybakina Become a Grand Slam Champion?
The next major step came at Wimbledon in 2022. Rybakina reached her first Grand Slam final at the All England Club and faced Ons Jabeur. After losing the opening set, she produced the controlled, powerful tennis that had become her trademark and came back to win 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. That victory made her the first Kazakh player to win a Grand Slam singles title. It was also the moment when the wider tennis world could no longer overlook her. Yet even after winning Wimbledon, Rybakina’s rise was rarely linear.
She reached the Australian Open final in 2023, won two WTA 1000 titles that year, and continued establishing herself among the game’s elite. In 2025, she added another huge achievement by winning the WTA Finals undefeated, beating Aryna Sabalenka in the championship match. She also finished 2025 as the tour leader in aces and ended the year ranked No. 5. Then came 2026.
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How Did Elena Rybakina Reach World No. 1?
Rybakina entered 2026 with a Grand Slam title already in her collection, but her season took her to another level. She won the Australian Open in January, followed by a title in Stuttgart, and reached the finals in Indian Wells and Toronto. By the time she arrived at the US Open, she had established herself as one of the main contenders for the No. 1 ranking.
The battle in New York was particularly impressive. Rybakina defeated Naomi Osaka in the fourth round before facing Zheng in the quarter-finals. After dropping the opening set against the Chinese star, she responded by winning the next two sets and reaching the semi-finals. That victory did more than put her into the final four.
It guaranteed that the next official WTA rankings will have a new leader. Aryna Sabalenka’s long reign at the top will end, while Rybakina becomes the 30th woman in WTA history to reach No. 1 and the first representative of Kazakhstan to do it.
What Makes Elena Rybakina So Difficult to Beat?
Her game looks simple until an opponent has to deal with it. At 1.84 metres, Elena Rybakina generates enormous power from her serve and groundstrokes, but raw power is not what has taken her to the top. Her ability to keep points controlled under pressure is just as important.
Her serve regularly gives her cheap points, while her flat, aggressive forehand and backhand allow her to take time away from opponents. She is also remarkably composed during difficult stretches, rarely allowing one bad game or set to completely change her approach. That mental control was visible again against Zheng. Rather than panic after losing the first set, she reset, raised her level, and won the next two. Now she has one more challenge in New York. Rybakina will face Coco Gauff in the US Open semi-final, with a place in the final on the line.
From a child who simply enjoyed tennis after school to the future WTA world No. 1, Rybakina’s rise has been built without much noise. She let her racket do the talking. And in New York, the whole tennis world finally listened. Can Elena Rybakina complete her incredible US Open journey by lifting a third Grand Slam title and beginning her reign at No. 1 with silverware? Let us know in the comments.
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A fine post on Rybakina. What an excellent player. Has a great serve and can hit groundstrokes with ruthless power. Has finally taken over Sabalenka. Needs to work on her temperament. Great achievement to become World No.1