Elena Rybakina heads to Wimbledon with a realistic shot at the women’s World No. 1 ranking. Rybakina will battle current No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka for top spot at SW19.
With the tournament set to begin on Monday, just 947 points separate the two players. Sabalenka enters Wimbledon as the No. 1 with 9090 points, while Rybakina, who is already the highest-ranked Kazakhstani tennis player of all time, sits in the second spot with 8143. The race on finishes top can only be determined after the tournament.
Sabalenka reached the Wimbledon semifinals for the third time last year and lost to Amanda Anisimova in a classic. The Belarusian will drop 780 points in the live rankings when the tournament begins. Rybakina only made the third round last year. The 2022 champion has more to gain in the next two weeks. So how can Rybakina wrestle the No. 1 ranking from Sabalenka?
How Rybakina can become the new women’s No. 1
Rybakina will become the new No. 1 if she wins Wimbledon for a second time. There is a possibility of a winner-take-all title match that could decide who leaves London as the No. 1. Rybakina and Sabalenka will lead the two halves of the draw.
Rybakina must reach the quarterfinals to have a chance of overtaking Sabalenka. This is the bare minimum for the big-serving Kazakh. If she loses before the second week, Sabalenka will remain No. 1.
If Sabalenka loses before the Round of 16, Rybakina could become the new No. 1 with a quarterfinal run.
If Sabalenka reaches the Round of 16 or quarterfinals, Rybakina would need to reach the semifinals at the very least to stay in contention.
If Sabalenka reaches the semifinals, Rybakina will need to advance to the final. Simply put, Rybakina needs to outperform her rival. But not all scenarios are dependent on Sabalenka’s results. Rybakina controls her destiny, and by winning the title, she will be guaranteed to become No. 1 for the first time.
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images
