Kazakhstani tennis player Elena Rybakina has risen to the top of the WTA live rankings for the first time in her career, reports infohub.kz.
After the points recalculation ahead of the US Open, Rybakina has 7,911 points, overtaking Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, who has 6,585 points.
However, the live rankings are provisional and change during tournaments. In the official WTA standings, Rybakina is still second, with Sabalenka remaining world No. 1. The Kazakhstani, though, says she is not thinking about rankings.
“I try not to think about the ranking at all and just take it match by match. Right now, the most important thing for me is to stay healthy,” Rybakina said.
Final positions will be determined after the US Open. If the Kazakhstani reaches at least the semifinals, she is guaranteed to top the official world rankings for the first time in her career, regardless of other results.
Americans Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff could potentially overtake Rybakina. To do so, they need to perform well at the US Open, while Rybakina would have to exit before the semifinals.
In the first round in New York, Rybakina will face American Thea Frodin. Earlier, the Kazakhstani said she hopes to recover from a leg injury sustained at the Cincinnati tournament.
In the official WTA profile, Rybakina is still listed as world No. 2. Her previous best result was also second place.