“Rybakina has a game which, when she’s on, can make her unplayable" - Rybakina touted to prolong incredible form showcased at WTA Finals

Elena Rybakina ended 2025 on top after a season surrounded in inconsistency and question marks. Sky Sports Tennis presenter Gigi Salmon believes she will be a massive threat to the top players in 2026, but if she is fit and healthy.

The Kazakh has drastically risen as a major threat in the tennis world once more after a brilliant display in the WTA Finals saw her demolish the competition for a lucrative prize reward and a statement title. She defeated Amanda Anisimova, Iga Swiatek and second-alternative Ekaterina Alexandrova in the group phase ahead of a tight semi-final against Jessica Pegula. She was imperious in the final against world number one Aryna Sabalenka. She defeated the four-time Grand Slam champion in straight sets to clinch the title and an eye-watering $5.235 million.

This has seen her rise up the rankings up to world number five. Her ambitions in 2026 will be breaching the top four once more. She was previously world number three back in 2023 but has since slowly crept down the order after inconsistency and lacklustre results in the biggest tournaments.

“Someone who was full of energy as she sprinted to the finish line was Rybakina who won Ningbo and reached the semi-finals in Tokyo to secure her place in the WTA Finals and then go on to win the final – undefeated – and collect a cheque for $5.235m!” Salmon told Sky Sports Tennis.

She went on to touch on her troubled recent past. “Rybakina has a game which, when she’s on, can make her unplayable. The difficulty in recent years has been the consistency whether due to illness or difficulties off the court which saw her coach Stefano Vukov provisionally suspended from the tour at the start of the year. A lengthy investigation by the WTA found him to have breached the code of conduct, specifically for ‘abuse of authority and abusive conduct. Rybakina maintained throughout the process that she was never mistreated by Vukov and on appeal, the ban was lifted in August and he returned to the coaching box.”

This controversy has held her back from progressing in the sport. Now she has her Croatian coach back, it looks that her best form has returned. Her form at the end of the season has raised a lot of eyebrows as the 2026 campaign slowly creeps up on us.

“A fit, healthy and happy Rybakina will be very dangerous in 2026 and it all bodes well for great competition, continued rivalries and a strength in depth in the women’s game,” Salmon admitted.

The former Wimbledon champion will be eager to continue her fantastic form on the court. After her incredible showing in Riyadh, she has taken some time away from tennis as she recuperates and recovers.

Her 2026 season will commence Down Under as the best players in the world ramp up their preparations ahead of the opening Grand Slam of the campaign. Ahead of the trip to Melbourne, Rybakina will traverse to Brisbane to compete in the Brisbane International. The 26-year-old is a previous champion in 2024. After the event was put on hold for three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rybakina returned with a bang after defeating Sabalenka in a commanding display.

The competition will last from 4th - 11th January. Then full attention will be on the Australian Open which will take place from 18th January - 1st February.