Kazakh tennis player Elena Rybakina has secured the year-end No. 1 spot in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) world rankings for 2026 after defeating Yulia Putintseva at the tournament in Tokyo, infohub.kz reports.
On October 29, an all-Kazakh derby took place at the WTA 500 event in the Japanese capital. In the second round, Rybakina faced Yulia Putintseva, who is ranked 67th in the world.
The match ended in a two-set victory for Rybakina, 6-2, 6-3.
The result carries particular significance for the Kazakh player in the race for the top of the world rankings. The win in Tokyo allowed Rybakina to strengthen her position and guarantee herself first place at the end of the season.
Rybakina first rose to the top of the WTA world rankings on September 14, 2026. This season, the Kazakh player has also claimed titles at the Australian Open and the US Open, adding to her Grand Slam collection.
In the quarterfinals in Tokyo, Rybakina will face Canada's Leylah Fernandez, who earlier defeated Belgium's Elise Mertens 6-3, 6-2.