Kazakh has dominated her closest rivals to dethrone Aryna Sabalenka and top the year-end rankings for the first time

Show caption: Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina after defending her title at the…

Elena Rybakina has secured the year-end No 1 ranking before she even attempts to defend her WTA Finals title in Indian Wells next week.

The 27-year-old Rybakina is the 17th player in WTA history to secure the year-end No 1 singles ranking and the first player representing Kazakhstan, male or female, in singles or doubles to finish a season ranked No 1 in the world.

Rybakina ended Aryna Sabalenka’s 99-week stay at No 1 in September by rising to the top after winning the US Open, becoming the second-oldest woman to reach No 1 for the first time.

She needed to claim just one victory in Tokyo last week to make sure she would not relinquish her position at the summit until at least next year, and she did just that before withdrawing from the quarter-finals with a neck issue.

“Finishing the year as world No 1 in the PIF WTA Rankings for the first time is an incredibly special moment for me,” Rybakina said in a statement released by the tour.

“I'm really proud of what I've achieved this season and the consistency I've shown throughout the year. I'm now looking forward to competing at the WTA Finals and hopefully finishing the season on a high.”

In Tokyo a few days ago, Rybakina spoke to the press about the lingering foot injury that almost ruled her out of the US Open.

“After US Open, it was a lot of travels and of course, there were a lot of emotions spent during the tournament and I needed some time off. But at the same time, I was travelling quite a lot and was not able to practise,” she explained.

“Also, my foot issue is still there; it’s on and off. Now it got better a bit, but that’s why the Beijing tournament wasn’t that successful for me [she lost her opener to world No 118 Alina Charaeva]. But after some rest and proper recovery and exercises for my body, now I feel better. So hopefully again for the final eight [the WTA Finals] I’m going to get to my best form.”

Asked about how it felt being No 1 in the world, Rybakina said: “From my side, what changed is that it’s another goal which I achieved, which is great. And now, there are other ones. But definitely I got more attention, no matter where I go, which is nice. It’s not been that long yet, but this is what I can say right now: it’s definitely more attention.”

With the WTA Finals just a week away, here’s a closer look at Rybakina’s banner season, the numbers that defined her 2026 season, and what it took for her to become world No 1.

Trophies galore

Rybakina has captured a tour-leading four titles this campaign, including two Grand Slams at the Australian Open and US Open, along with WTA 500-level trophies on clay in Stuttgart in April and on hard courts in Ningbo last month. Ningbo was her first successful title defence at tour level.

Unmatched

Rybakina heads to the year-end championships in Indian Wells (which replaced Riyadh as host city) with a tour-leading 54 match wins in 2026, marking the second straight season in which she has surpassed the 50-win mark.

Beating the best

Rybakina didn’t just win matches; she was beating top-quality opposition. In 2026, she is 3-2 against top-two opponents, 7-3 against top-five opponents, 10-5 against top-10 opponents, and 16-7 against top-20 opponents.

She beat a top-ranked Sabalenka in both Grand Slam finals she played this year.

It may seem like a no-brainer that a player finishing the year as No 1 in the world would have won the majority of their matches against top players, but on the men’s side, Alexander Zverev has made it to the top of the rankings with a 0-6 record against top-five opponents and a 3-9 record against top-10 opponents in 2026.

Supreme serving

It’s no secret that the serve is Rybakina’s biggest weapon, and her stats certainly showcase that.

She leads the tour with 438 aces in 68 matches this season. The closest player behind her on the ace leaderboard is Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, who hit 347 aces in 50 matches.

Rybakina has won 74 per cent of her first-serve points throughout the season, trailing only Zheng Qinwen (74.8 per cent) among all WTA players who have contested at least five tour-level matches this campaign.

She has won a remarkable 82.4 per cent of her service games in 2026, the highest rate among all WTA players who have contested more than one match. Sabalenka is close behind with 81.5 per cent.

Rybakina also leads the tour in break points saved, saving 65 per cent of the break points she has faced this season.

Finding consistency

While there may have been brief lulls in Rybakina’s season, she has certainly been consistent enough to reach at least the quarter-finals in 13 of the 19 tournaments she has contested in 2026.

She reached seven semi-finals and six finals overall, with her only losses (three) in those rounds coming against either Sabalenka or Iga Swiatek.