Elena Rybakina turned a difficult start into a defining victory in New York, coming from a set down to beat Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 and seal the world No 1 ranking for the first time. It was the kind of result that underlined both her quality and her resilience, with Khachanov now a different talking point elsewhere in the draw, as Andy Schooler backs Flavio Cobolli over Karen Khachanov at 13/10.
The win sent Rybakina into the US Open semi-finals and, crucially, made the ranking battle irrelevant before the tournament even reached its final stages. The No 1 spot had been in her hands as long as she reached the last four, and she got there by recovering after dropping the opening set against a player who had given her no easy rhythm.
Rybakina: a ranking milestone built on patience
This is a major moment for Rybakina. She became only the 30th player in WTA history to reach No 1, and in doing so ended Aryna Sabalenka’s 99 successive weeks at the top. For a player whose career has already included a Wimbledon title four years earlier, a WTA Finals triumph in November and a second grand slam title at the Australian Open, this was another significant marker of her place in the women’s game.
It is also the latest proof that her best tennis can still arrive even after a stop-start build-up. Twelve days before her first round in New York, she retired from her quarter-final against Iga Swiatek at the Cincinnati Open because of an achilles injury. Before the US Open, she did not train for seven days, and by her own admission the process had to be handled carefully. She said she “couldn’t do much in the gym movement-wise” and that the team had to “go day by day”.
Why this win mattered so much
That context makes the performance even more impressive. Rybakina has not always found the US Open easy, and the tournament had long been her most challenging major. She also struggled badly with her health and her game during last year’s North American hardcourt swing, when her level dipped and she fell out of the top 10.
This time, though, the signs are very different. After losing the first set, she reset quickly, dominated the second set and kept her composure in the decider. It was not flashy for the sake of it, but it was controlled, efficient and, above all, convincing enough to confirm that the ranking leap was no accident.
Rybakina described the progress as “amazing” and said she was “really glad how everything worked out”. She added that they did not even know whether she would be able to play, crediting her team and a doctor who was on the phone throughout the build-up. That is a useful reminder that this was not just a ranking story, but a recovery story too.
What comes next
For Rybakina, the immediate reward is clear: a first run as world No 1, earned the hard way and confirmed on one of the biggest stages in tennis. For Sabalenka, the long reign has ended after 99 straight weeks. And for the rest of the draw, the message is straightforward: Rybakina is back in the conversation at the very top, and this time the numbers match the talent.
