World number one Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka have opened their fight for top spot in the 2026 season standings at the China Open in Beijing, with exactly 1,007 points separating the pair. The Kazakh, a three-time Grand Slam champion, was less fortunate in the draw, with Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff both landing in her half. Sabalenka's main objective is to win the tournament and collect the 1,000 ranking points on offer, a haul that would keep her genuinely in the hunt to finish the year as world number one.
The route to the title is far from straightforward. Rybakina could meet Elina Svitolina or Belinda Bencic in the quarter-finals, before needing to get past Paula Badosa, Jelena Ostapenko or Coco Gauff in the semi-finals. Sabalenka's quarter of the draw, meanwhile, includes Karolina Muchova, Naomi Osaka and Anastasia Potapova. The Beijing final takes place on 11 October and will go a long way towards deciding who ends 2026 as the best player in women's tennis.
