To maintain the world No. 1 ranking in tennis, Aryna Sabalenka only needs to win the US Open
And her pursuer, Elena Rybakina, can even withdraw from the tournament.
Photo: Robert Prange/Getty Images
In women's tennis, following the results of the US Open, the main draw of which starts on Sunday, a change of leader is likely. Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, who has held the top spot since October 19, 2024, could be dethroned from the first place.
The fact is that Aryna won the tournament a year ago. For winning a Grand Slam tournament final (this also includes the Australian Open, Roland Garros, and Wimbledon), 2000 points are awarded; reaching the final - 1300; semifinals - 780; quarterfinals - 430. And to retain them in the ranking, according to the rules, they must be defended. That is, if Aryna does not win the tournament for the third time in a row (she also won the US Open in 2024), 2000 points will expire, and the Belarusian will have not 8575 points, as of today, but 6575.
Rybakina may only lose 240 points for reaching the fourth round last year.
This means that reaching the US Open semifinals guarantees Elena the title of world No. 1 after the tournament. Moreover, she can top the ranking even if she withdraws from the US Open, as Sabalenka will only be satisfied with the title — reaching the final gives 1300 points, which will not be enough to cover the probable future deficit.
WTA Ranking on August 25
| 1 | Aryna Sabalenka | Belarus | 8575 points | |
| 2 | Elena Rybakina | Kazakhstan | 8141 | |
| 3 | Jessica Pegula | USA | 7265 | |
| 4 | Coco Gauff | USA | 6704 | |
| 5 | Mirra Andreeva | Russia | 5443 |
Ranking Scenarios based on US Open results
| Place | Player | Ranking on August 25 | Probable points lost | Ranking on September 14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elena Rybakina | 8141 | 240 | 7901 |
| 2 | Aryna Sabalenka | 8575 | 2000 | 6575 |
| 3 | Jessica Pegula | 7265 | 780 | 6485 |
| 4 | Coco Gauff | 6704 | 240 | 6464 |
| 5 | Mirra Andreeva | 5443 | 130 | 5313 |
The draw for this year's US Open will take place on Thursday, and today the mixed doubles tournament starts — a tournament where both a woman and a man play.
Aryna Sabalenka will compete in mixed doubles with Novak Djokovic. In the first round tomorrow, they will play against the Czech-British pair: Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten.