Elena Rybakina now has the opportunity to snatch the world number one ranking from Aryna Sabalenka.
Rybakina began this season in superb form, defeating Sabalenka in the Australian Open final to claim her second Grand Slam title.
Rybakina’s efforts in Melbourne saw her rise to world number two for the first time in her career, and she has remained in that position ever since.
Is Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina the best rivalry in women’s tennis right now?
If not, who is?
The Kazakhstani star certainly possesses the talent to achieve the world number one ranking. However, whether she can execute this feat remains to be seen.
Rybakina certainly has a chance of achieving the world number one ranking at the French Open. However, she will need some help from Aryna Sabalenka if she is to do so.
How can Elena Rybakina achieve the world number one ranking in Paris?
Elena Rybakina is currently on 8,705 WTA ranking points, 1,255 behind Aryna Sabalenka.
This gap is set to stretch to 1,755 points at the end of this week. This is because Rybakina has chosen not to defend her 2025 Strasbourg Open title, meaning she will lose 500 WTA ranking points.
| Ranking | Player | Points |
| 1 | Aryna Sabalenka | 9,960 |
| 2 | Elena Rybakina | 8,705 [8,205 following Strasbourg] |
| 3 | Iga Swiatek | 7,273 |
| 4 | Coco Gauff | 6,749 |
| 5 | Jessica Pegula | 6,286 |
At this year’s French Open, Rybakina is defending 240 ranking points, meaning she can gain a maximum of 1,760 at this year’s event.
Sabalenka, meanwhile, is defending 1,300 points following her loss to Coco Gauff in last year’s final.
If Rybakina were to win Roland Garros this year, her points total would rise to 9,965.
Therefore, Elena Rybakina will be the world number one – if she wins her first Roland Garros title.
If Rybakina were to reach the final and lose, her total would increase to 9,265.
If that scenario were to play out, Rybakina would need Sabalenka to exit the tournament before the semi-finals to become the new world number one.
Were Rybakina to exit at the semi-final stage, she would need Sabalenka to exit the event before the third round.
| 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 |
If Rybakina fails to advance to the semi-finals in Paris, she cannot become world number one after the event.
Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka’s first WTA match
Aryna Sabalenka has a 10-7 winning record against Elena Rybakina, defeating the Kazakh in their last match in the Indian Wells final.
Almost seven years ago, the pair contested their first match on the WTA Tour.
Sabalenka emerged the victor on this occasion, defeating Rybakina 6-3, 1-6, 6-1 in the 2019 Wuhan Open quarter-finals.
Sabalenka went on to win the title, defeating American player Alison Riske-Amritraj in the championship showpiece.
The Belarusian remained unbeaten in Wuhan, winning 20 consecutive matches at the event, until she lost to Jessica Pegula in the 2025 semi-finals.
