Elena Rybakina secured the top spot in the year-end women’s singles rankings by beating Yulia Putintseva in the round of 16 at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.
Rybakina’s 6-2 6-3 victory means she cannot be overtaken in the final weeks of a stellar year in which she won the Australian Open and US Open titles.
Rybakina triumphed at the Ningbo Open last week to win her fourth title of 2026 and, after a first-round bye in Tokyo, served six aces and produced 25 winners in beating Putintseva.
She will face former US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez, whom she beat 6-2 6-2 in the Ningbo Open final, in the quarterfinals in Tokyo.
About the year-end ranking, Rybakina said: “It means a lot. It’s something we worked for with the team.
“There are so many great players and we are all very close to each other, and I am happy that now, with last week and with today’s victory, I have helped secure first place at the end of the year.
“It’s an incredible achievement and I hope we can continue this next year.”
The 27-year-old, who like Putintseva represents Kazakhstan, beat Sabalenka in the finals of Grand Slams in Melbourne and New York this year and usurped the Belarusian to become world number one in September.
A quarter-final victory over China’s Zheng Qinwen at the US Open put her at the top of the singles rankings for the first time.
Rybakina’s next tournament will be the defense of her singles title at the season-ending WTA Finals, which will take place November 8-15 in Indian Wells.
Gn sports
