Elena Rybakina stays focused despite nearing the world number 1 ranking.

Elena Rybakina is demonstrating that her focus is not on claiming the top spot in the world rankings, despite being very close to achieving it. The Kazakh tennis player is involved in an intense race for the WTA ranking leadership, especially following Aryna Sabalenka's early exit from the Canadian Open, which opened a door for Rybakina to reduce the gap, should she succeed in the Toronto event.

Rybakina secured her place in the semi-finals of the competition by defeating Naomi Osaka in three sets, and is now preparing for an exciting match against Coco Gauff. If Rybakina wins the tournament, her gap to Sabalenka will be just four points, making the upcoming events, such as the Cincinnati Open and the US Open, even more intriguing.

Despite the favorable circumstances, Rybakina emphasized that she is not thinking about the possibility of becoming the world number one. In response to Mark Petchey on Tennis Channel, she stated: “No, you guys are always asking me that. Only when you ask me do I have to think about it. No, I’m just living in the present, trying to focus on one match at a time and not looking at the ranking, not following it. For me, it’s just important to take it match by match and, hopefully, win titles.”

So far, Rybakina has won two tournaments this year, at the Stuttgart Open and the Australian Open, which has helped her close the gap with Sabalenka. However, the Belarusian player has been facing difficulties, having not won a tournament since the Miami Open in March. Despite this, Rybakina has not fully capitalized on Sabalenka's slip-ups, recording unexpected results in recent competitions, such as her elimination in the first round at Roland Garros and in the round of 32 at Wimbledon.

Her performance at the Canadian Open has been more promising, with victories over players like Daria Kasatkina, Ann Li, Liudmila Samsonova, and now Osaka. However, the biggest challenge awaits, as Gauff will be her next opponent in the semi-finals of the Toronto tournament. A victory over the young American could strengthen her position in the conversation for the top spot in the rankings.

If Rybakina manages to overcome Gauff, the next challenge will be in the final, where she will face either Elina Svitolina or Iga Swiatek, which could be crucial for her journey in this exciting race for the WTA circuit's leadership.