Elena Rybakina: “I Didn’t Dream About It When I Was a Kid” — Kazakh Star Chases No. 1 Ranking at Cincinnati Open
The rivalry between World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and World No. 2 Elena Rybakina has reached a boiling point in Ohio. At the 2026 Cincinnati Open, the top spot in the PIF WTA Rankings hangs in the balance, presenting Rybakina with a direct opportunity to overtake the long-reigning Belarusian.
Sabalenka has held the World No. 1 ranking for 96 consecutive weeks—a streak extending back to October 2024 that places her just behind Hall of Famer Chris Evert on the all-time list. However, Rybakina has systematically closed the gap following her victory over Sabalenka in the Australian Open final earlier this season.
Despite the high stakes, the 27-year-old Kazakh power-server remains grounded regarding the prospect of reaching the summit of women’s tennis.
“I didn’t dream about it when I was a kid,” Rybakina said. “I didn’t even know that I was going to be professional, so it was not in my head. Right now, I’m also trying not to think about it because there is still a lot of tournament ahead, still a lot of players who can do well. For me, it’s important just to be in the present and try to stay focused.”
A Dominant 2026 Campaign
Rybakina arrived at the Lindner Family Tennis Center following a runner-up finish to Iga Swiatek at the National Bank Open in Toronto. Her underlying statistics underline her status as the tour’s form player on hard courts:
- WTA 1000 Success: A tour-leading 24 match wins at the WTA 1000 level this season.
- Hard-Court Dominance: A tour-high 28 match wins on hard courts in 2026.
- Overall Wins: 41 singles victories this year, trailing only Jessica Pegula (42).
- Serve Leadership: Leads the WTA Tour with 338 aces and counting.
American World No. 3 Jessica Pegula praised Rybakina’s lethal serve and underrated versatility ahead of the tournament:
“Her serve is just so good. Even when she’s not necessarily having a good serving day, it’s still probably better than most,” Pegula noted. “She’s really good at first-strike tennis, has really good hands, she’s pretty good at the net. She slices, does a lot of intangibles really well… She’s a really good all-around player.”
Defending Cincinnati Open champion Iga Swiatek echoed those sentiments, highlighting Rybakina’s complete game:
“She can win easy points with her serve, and sometimes that’s a little bit annoying, because you need to keep holding serve yourself,” Swiatek said. “She’s really solid from both sides and has great touch, so I feel like she’s a really complete player. Everything, you know? That’s why she’s been in the Top 5 for years and has the game to be No. 1.”
The Scenario for the WTA Throne
Top-seeded Sabalenka controls her own destiny in Cincinnati. If she wins the title to join Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka as the only two-time winners in tournament history, she will extend her reign at No. 1.
However, an early exit for Sabalenka combined with a title run for Rybakina would trigger a official transfer of power at the top of the WTA rankings.
