{
  "id": 6596325,
  "title": "Why Elena Rybakina’s rise to the top is not a surprise",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/why-elena-rybakinas-rise-to-the-top-is-not-a-surprise",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-10T13:10:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/sport/tennis/why-elena-rybakinas-rise-to-the-top-is-not-a-surprise-1.500669992"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Elena Rybakina's ascent to the top of women's tennis was not unexpected, but her journey to the top had its fair share of challenges. The Russian-born Kazakh, renowned for her potent serve and powerful groundstrokes, had already secured a Wimbledon title in 2022, a feat that came as no surprise to those familiar with her career. However, her subsequent Grand Slam victories were scarce, only adding a second to her tally at the 2023 Australian Open. The 2023 season saw her reach the Australian Open final and triumph in two WTA 1000 titles, culminating in the No 3 ranking at year-end. This led many to expect a relentless push for the No 1 ranking. Yet, the 27-year-old's ascent was delayed due to persistent health issues throughout 2024. It wasn't until late 2025 that Rybakina truly began her climb, clinching the Ningbo tournament in October and defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the WTA Finals Riyadh championship. In January 2026, she made a remarkable comeback, defeating Sabalenka again to claim the Australian Open title. This victory instilled a newfound confidence in Rybakina that she could achieve even greater success in her 12-year professional career. By the close of 2025, the gap between Sabalenka and Rybakina in rankings was substantial, with Sabalenka at 9,870 points and Rybakina at 4,350. Nine months later, the gap had significantly narrowed to just 414 points, marking the first time Rybakina could control the No 1 ranking entirely. While she acknowledges the importance of placing the No 1 ranking within her control, Rybakina maintains that the main focus should remain on winning titles. She sees the ranking as a reflection of her hard work and believes in a match-by-match approach, with the ultimate goal being the pursuit and victory of tournaments. At the US Open quarter-finals against Qinwen Zheng, Rybakina lost the first set, but her characteristic unflappable demeanor prevailed, and she emerged victorious to claim the No 1 ranking. Her semi-final opponent will be Coco Gauff, and Rybakina will need to maintain her consistency to capitalize on this opportunity. Despite a mixed performance at this year's final Grand Slam, with periods of brilliance interspersed with setbacks, Rybakina's journey to the top is complete. She has transitioned from being the Ice Queen to the Queen of Tennis.",
  "summary": "It was inevitable but it came with a few hiccups on the way. For Elena Rybakina to reach the summit of women’s tennis, she just needed to believe. Talent was never a problem for this gifted Russian-born Kazakh. She possesses a potent serve and pummeling groundstrokes off either flank to match. The 2022 Wimbledon title was not a surprise for those who have followed her career trajectory. What was…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}