Sabalenka comments on race with Rybakina for WTA No. 1

World No. 1 tennis player Aryna Sabalenka said she does not pay much attention to the scenarios in the race for the top spot in the WTA rankings. The Belarusian could lose the No. 1 ranking to Kazakhstani Elena Rybakina (World No. 2) at the end of the 2026 U.S. Open, while Rybakina would only need to reach the semifinals to overtake her.

After defeating American Taylor Townsend (World No. 96) 6-4, 6-3 in the round of 16, Sabalenka admitted that she is deliberately distancing herself from discussions about the rankings.

«I completely move away from that because it’s just guessing. I’m just focusing on myself. I’m just trying to give my best in every match and basically fight for it,» Punto de Break cited Sabalenka as saying.

Sabalenka said that she is trying to focus solely on her matches and the circumstances she can control. She prefers not to look at various ranking scenarios and statistics on social media, as they could create additional pressure.

How Rybakina can become world No. 1

Ahead of the 2026 U.S. Open, Sabalenka was ranked No. 1 with 8,575 points, followed by Rybakina with 8,141 points. At the same time, the Belarusian is defending 2,000 points from her 2025 U.S. Open victory, while the Kazakhstani reached the round of 16 last year and has already defended 240 points.

Reaching the semifinals of the current U.S. Open is worth 780 points. Therefore, if Rybakina reaches this stage, her total will rise to 8,681 points, with her previous 240 points replaced by 780. For Sabalenka, even if she wins her third consecutive title, she will remain at 8,575 points. Thus, reaching the semifinals guarantees Rybakina the No. 1 spot in the rankings, regardless of Sabalenka’s result.

In turn, Sabalenka has to win the tournament, while Rybakina must fail to reach the semifinals. Therefore, even a victory for the Belarusian in New York would not be enough to retain the top spot if Rybakina finishes among the four semifinalists.

Meanwhile, Rybakina needs two more wins to guarantee the No. 1 spot. In the round of 16, she will face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka (World No. 13). Sabalenka has already advanced to the quarterfinals, where she will face 2026 Wimbledon champion Linda Nosková (World No. 6).

Sabalenka has been ranked No. 1 in the WTA rankings since October 2024. She has held the top spot for 99 consecutive weeks. If the Belarusian retains the No. 1 ranking after the 2026 U.S. Open, the streak will reach 100 weeks.