he recent Australian Open champion, Elena Rybakina, aims to continue rising on the Tour and take a step forward, after winning her second Grand Slam title. The Kazakh acknowledged that reaching the top of the ranking – and continuing to add Grand Slam titles – is among her goals.
After the title in Melbourne, Rybakina advanced to world No. 3, matching her best ranking, first achieved in 2023. The Kazakh now has serious ambitions of climbing even higher – and this very week she could surpass Iga Swiatek as No. 2 if she achieves a strong campaign at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, where the Kazakh will be the first seed.
Rybakina arrives in Dubai after losing her winning streak at the Qatar Open last week. After nine consecutive victories, she ended up falling in the quarter-finals against Victoria Mboko – the tournament’s eventual runner-up. The 26-year-old had scored 11 aces and won 83% of points on her first serve, but it was not enough against Mboko, who produced her best tennis in the final minutes to secure the victory.
In any case, Rybakina left with positive feelings from her run in the first WTA 1000 of the year. The next objective is in Dubai this week, where she can continue climbing positions in the ranking. She needs to reach at least the semi-finals this week and would definitively push Swiatek out of the top-2.
Recently, the Pole withdrew from the tournament – after the disappointment of being defeated in Dubai. Swiatek announced that she had made a change in her schedule, and, like Aryna Sabalenka, opted to pull out of the tournament and focus on her preparation for Indian Wells.
Rybakina sets sights on World No. 1 after Australian Open triumph
In a recent interview with the Al Ersal podcast, Elena Rybakina addressed her next objectives for the season and the possibility of fighting this year to reach the top of the ranking. "It's definitely a goal. But it depends how the other players compete & what the results are gonna be. The season is so long. There’s no time to stop working. You need to improve every day."
The 2022 Wimbledon champion is first in the WTA Race with 2,330 points – just over 500 points ahead of Aryna Sabalenka (1,800). In the official ranking, however, Sabalenka is still at a wide distance of 3,000 points from her closest pursuer Swiatek, and more than 3,400 points from Rybakina.
The Kazakh knows she needs to maintain consistency throughout the season if she wants to reach the top of the ranking, knowing that there is not much time to rest in the busy season, in which Rybakina trusts she can fight for another major title. “We have so many tournaments, so it’s… yeah. You need to keep going. Definitely that's the goal to go higher in the ranking & win another Slam.”
Last 10 women to reach World No. 1 (First Time)
| Player | Country | First Reached No. 1 | Total Weeks at No. 1 | Grand Slam Singles Titles |
| Caroline Wozniacki | Denmark | October 11, 2010 | 71 | 1 |
| Victoria Azarenka | Belarus | January 30, 2012 | 51 | 2 |
| Angelique Kerber | Germany | September 12, 2016 | 34 | 3 |
| Karolína Plíšková | Czech Republic | July 17, 2017 | 8 | - |
| Garbiñe Muguruza | Spain | September 11, 2017 | 4 | 2 |
| Simona Halep | Romania | October 9, 2017 | 64 | 2 |
| Naomi Osaka | Japan | January 28, 2019 | 25 | 4 |
| Ashleigh Barty | Australia | June 24, 2019 | 121 | 3 |
| Iga Świątek | Poland | April 4, 2022 | 125 | 6 |
| Aryna Sabalenka | Belarus | September 11, 2023 | 77 (Current) | 4 |
Rybakina cautious over potential five-set matches at Australian Open
Recently, the Kazakh also referred to the possibility of playing Grand Slam tournaments in five sets, after the director of Tennis Australia, Craig Tiley, hinted that from 2027 women could play five-set matches at the Australian Open – starting from the quarter-finals. However, the defending champion acknowledges that she does not entirely agree with the idea.
“I would like to stick to three sets,” said Rybakina before the quarter-finals in Doha. “Five, it’s quite a lot. I’m not sure that the quality of the matches would be as good. But I don’t know how much players will have a voice on who is going to decide but it’s quite difficult.”
Top seed Rybakina begins Dubai campaign with top-2 in sight
Rybakina will debut on Tuesday in Dubai as the first seed, against the Australian Kimberly Birrell (No. 96). They had a previous encounter in April 2025 in the Billie Jean King Cup, in which the Australian gave Rybakina a good fight, but the Kazakh ended up winning 6-3, 7-6(4).
The Kazakh will face a tough challenge in Dubai if she wants to reach the top-2 immediately by the end of this week. For that, she must at least reach the semi-finals. On a potential path to the semi-finals, high-profile rivals could appear, such as Emma Raducanu, Belinda Bencic, Paula Badosa, or Elina Svitolina. It remains to be seen whether Rybakina can maintain the momentum from the start of the season.
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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