Elena Rybakina has made an impressive start to the season during the Sunshine Double, reaching both a final and a semifinal.
Rybakina fell short against Aryna Sabalenka in the Indian Wells final, and faced a similar outcome in their Miami Open semifinal clash.
The Kazakhstan player is now ranked second in the WTA standings and holds a 21-5 record for the 2026 season. Sabalenka, meanwhile, went on to win both WTA 1000 tournaments.
The clay-court swing is now underway on the WTA Tour, and Rybakina has just reached another career milestone.
Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images
Rybakina has now reached a significant milestone in her career, marking her 100th week ranked inside the top five of the WTA standings.
She only recently hit her career-high ranking of number two in the world, which came on the back of her Australian Open title earlier this year.
The 26-year-old has also made quarterfinal appearances in both Brisbane and Qatar so far this season.
She was forced to retire during a round-of-16 match in Dubai but hasn't missed a beat since then.
It's been an impressive start to the year for Rybakina, who will head into the clay-court season aiming to chase down Sabalenka at the top of the rankings.
If she needs any extra motivation, it's worth remembering that Rybakina is still the only player to have beaten Sabalenka so far this season – with Sabalenka holding a remarkable 23-1 record.
The matchup between Rybakina and Sabalenka has already produced three high-stakes contests this year, and it's showing no signs of slowing down.
Since losing their Australian Open final, the Belarusian has flipped the script, now leading their head-to-head 10-7.
Sabalenka also holds a comfortable lead in the rankings, sitting on 11,025 points compared to Rybakina's 8,108. But that gap could shrink quickly as we move into the clay season.
This stretch of the calendar gives Rybakina a real chance to make up ground. However, Coco Gauff might have something to say about who dominates on clay this year.
The American is just behind Rybakina in third place with 7,278 points. Iga Swiatek is also close behind with 7,263 points.
Despite her recent challenges and split from coach Wim Fissette, Swiatek remains a proven force on clay. And while Gauff is coming off her first French Open title in 2025, Swiatek had won each of the previous three tournaments there, taking her total to four Roland Garros titles.
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