Elena Rybakina is one step away from writing a historic chapter in women’s tennis as she aims to secure, for the first time in her career, the coveted number one spot in the WTA world rankings during the Roland-Garros tournament. The two-time Grand Slam champion arrives at the French event as a strong favorite to dethrone current leader Aryna Sabalenka, and she issued a clear and ambitious challenge at a press conference: consistency is key to reaching the top.
The mission will not be easy for the Kazakhstani player. To become number one, Rybakina must advance at least to the semifinals of the tournament and hope that Sabalenka suffers an early defeat. However, the safest scenario for reaching the top of the WTA involves winning Roland-Garros, or at least reaching the final while the Belarusian fails to make it to the semifinals. The pressure is on, and Rybakina knows she cannot afford to fail.
At the start of the competition, the 26-year-old player already showed her prowess by defeating Veronika Erjavec 6-2, 6-2, in a match that, according to her, began with some difficulties. “At the beginning, I didn’t start so well, with some unforced errors,” admitted Rybakina. “With the conditions, you need some time to adapt. The ball was flying, and it wasn’t easy to control.” However, the 2026 Australian Open champion assured that she quickly found her rhythm: “After that, I felt more comfortable and just tried to maintain my aggression and keep attacking. The start is always tricky, but then you adjust, and it gets better.”
Rybakina does not hide her ambition to reach the top of the world ranking, something she has never achieved so far. With her best performances prior to Roland-Garros reaching the quarter-finals (in 2021 and 2024), this time she aims to defend her place in the last 16, but she knows she will need to be much more consistent to secure the top spot. “To be number one, you really need to be consistent. That’s the most important thing,” emphasized the tennis player. “It’s essential to stay healthy in such a demanding schedule, because there’s no room for missing tournaments. If you’re not well, you can lose early. So, consistency and health are the keys.”
The next obstacle in Rybakina’s path is Ukrainian Yuliia Starodubtseva, an opponent she has yet to face. The current world number two acknowledged that there are still aspects of her game to fine-tune for the upcoming challenges, particularly her serve: “I think the start of matches can always be better. The percentage of my first serve was not as high as I wanted.” Adapting to the warm conditions of the court has also been a challenge: “It’s not easy to find the right angles in these conditions. My footwork can always improve, as well as some decisions during the match. But, overall, it was a good start for me.”
The race for the number one spot is heating up. With Sabalenka defending her lead with 8,660 points, and Rybakina close behind with 8,073, the points table makes it clear what is at stake at each stage of the tournament:
– If Rybakina reaches the semifinals and Sabalenka is eliminated before the quarterfinals, the Kazakh will take the top spot;
– If Rybakina reaches the final and Sabalenka does not make it to the semifinals, the leadership will also change hands;
– If Rybakina wins Roland-Garros, she will become number one regardless of Sabalenka’s result.
This is a decisive moment for Elena Rybakina, an athlete who, more than talent, relies on solidity and determination to claim the highest place in women’s tennis. If the young star maintains her aggression and consistency, Roland-Garros could be the stage for the rise of a new queen of women’s tennis. The world is watching and waiting for a revolution in the WTA rankings.
This article first appeared on Apito Final.
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