Rybakina and Sabalenka set to battle for World No. 1 ranking at Wimbledon 2026
Kazakhstani tennis player Elena Rybakina, currently ranked No. 2 in the WTA rankings, has a real chance to become the world No. 1 after the upcoming Wimbledon Championships, potentially dethroning Belarusian star Aryna Sabalenka from the top of the WTA rankings, Qazinform News Agency reports citing Sports.kz.
Rybakina’s main advantage is her ranking points heading into the tournament. Sabalenka must defend 780 points from last year’s semifinal run, while Rybakina is defending only 130 points for reaching the third round. After those points are deducted before the tournament begins, Sabalenka will have 8,310 points, compared with Rybakina’s 8,013.
The race for the No. 1 ranking will therefore be settled on the grass courts of London, where Rybakina won the Wimbledon title in 2022.
To claim the top ranking, Rybakina must outperform Sabalenka at the tournament. If Rybakina reaches the final, Sabalenka would need to do the same to stay ahead, potentially setting up a winner-takes-all championship match. If Rybakina exits in the semifinals, she would need Sabalenka to lose no later than the round of 16 for the rankings lead to change hands.
The 2026 Wimbledon Championships will take place in London from June 29 to July 12.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina had secured a Porsche and €160,000 following her Stuttgart triumph.