Kazakh tennis player Elena Rybakina has topped the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) live rankings for the first time in her career. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
After a recalculation of points before the US Open, Rybakina has 7,911 points. She overtook Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, who has 6,585 points.
Live rankings specifics
The live rankings are provisional and change during tournaments. In the official WTA standings, Rybakina is still second, with Sabalenka remaining world No.1. However, the Kazakh player is not thinking about rankings.
"I try not to think about the rankings at all and move from match to match. Right now, the most important thing for me is to stay healthy," Rybakina said.
Impact of US Open results
Final positions will be determined after the US Open concludes. If the Kazakh representative reaches at least the semifinals, she is guaranteed to top the official world rankings for the first time in her career, regardless of her rivals' results.
Americans Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff could potentially overtake Rybakina. To do so, they need to perform well at the US Open, while the Kazakh player would have to exit before the semifinals.
First-round opponent
In the first round in New York, Rybakina will face American Thea Froding. Earlier, the Kazakh said she hopes to recover from a leg injury sustained at the Cincinnati tournament.
In the official WTA profile, Rybakina is still listed as world No.2. Her previous best result was also second place.