Elena Rybakina will end 2026 as world number one after the 27-year-old beat Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 6-3 in the last 16 of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. The Kazakh won the Australian Open and the US Open this year, taking her career tally to three Grand Slam titles. Rybakina beat Aryna Sabalenka in both the Melbourne and New York finals and replaced the Belarusian at the top of the rankings in September.
"It means a lot. This is something we worked for with the team... It's an amazing achievement and hopefully we can continue this way next year," said Rybakina, who has won four titles this season. The hard work has paid off. Once her Tokyo campaign is over, she heads to the WTA Finals in Indian Wells from 8 to 15 November, where she will attempt to defend her title.
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