Elena Rybakina will still be on cloud nine following her success at the Australian Open, where she secured her second Grand Slam title.
Billie Jean King congratulated Rybakina on her victory in Melbourne, which was clinched via a final win over Aryna Sabalenka.
Rybakina beat Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 at Rod Laver Arena, having lost the 2023 Australian Open final to the same opponent.
Sabalenka has remained as the WTA number one after the Grand Slam, but Rybakina has climbed two places to world number three.
Is Rybakina the best player on the WTA Tour right now?
If not, who is better?
Elena Rybakina comfort is a ‘bad sign’ for the rest of the WTA Tour
Rybakina dropped just one set throughout her entire run at the Australian Open, where she also beat the likes of Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula.
When asked if he thinks this is the best she has ever played, former player Steve Johnson said on Tennis Channel: “Yeah, this is the best I think I’ve seen her play.
“And even that’s dating back to when she won Wimbledon a few years ago. And this has just been continued success for her.
“Week in, week out, she’s going out there beating the best players in the world, and it doesn’t faze her. And she looks like she’s getting more and more comfortable on that stage, which is a bad sign for the women at the top of the game.
“Because she is here to stay, and I think there’s going to be a couple more big trophies in her future this season.”
Who wins more Grand Slams in their career – Elena Rybakina or Aryna Sabalenka?
Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina enjoying stunning run against top 10 players
Rybakina certainly looks very calm and composed on the court, typified by her low-key celebrations right after winning the Australian Open.
And that approach could be a huge advantage over top players such as Sabalenka and Gauff, who often wear their hearts on their sleeves.
The 26-year-old from Kazakhstan now has 12 WTA titles to her name, and is closing in on 400 career match wins.
| Year | Titles | Tournaments |
| 2026 | 1 | Australian Open |
| 2025 | 3 | WTA Finals, Ningbo, Strasbourg |
| 2024 | 3 | Brisbane, Abu Dhabi, Stuttgart |
| 2023 | 2 | Indian Wells, Rome |
| 2022 | 1 | Wimbledon |
| 2020 | 1 | Hobart |
| 2019 | 1 | Bucharest |
But most impressive of all right now is her current run against the very best, with Rybakina now boasting 10 wins in a row against top 10 opponents.
She’s clearly comfortable against such players despite their quality, which really does suggest that plenty more success is on the way sooner rather than later.
