Kazakhstani tennis player Elena Rybakina has risen to the top of the WTA Live Rankings at the start of the 2026 US Open, reports infohub.kz.
According to current calculations, Rybakina has 7,911 points. Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka has dropped to second place with 6,585 points. However, in the official WTA rankings published before the tournament, Sabalenka remains first with 8,575 points, while Rybakina is second with 8,141 points.
Before the US Open, points from the 2025 tournament were deducted. Sabalenka, the defending champion, lost 2,000 points, while Rybakina's deduction was significantly smaller. This allowed the Kazakh player to take the top spot in the Live Rankings before the current US Open concludes.
It should be noted that the Live Rankings are a preliminary calculation of positions based on results and points that change during the current tournament week.
However, Rybakina's first place in the Live Rankings does not yet mean she is officially the world No. 1. The final distribution of positions will depend on the results of the US Open. According to WTA calculations, reaching the semifinals guarantees Rybakina the top spot in the official rankings regardless of other players' results.