Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina strengthened her position at the top of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings after winning the Ningbo Open in China on Oct.26, Tengri Sport reported.
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Rybakina secured the title by defeating Canada’s Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 6-2 in the final, successfully defending her Ningbo Open championship.
Photo credit: tennis updates
Rybakina’s ranking points increased from 9,196 to 9,501 following her title win. She now leads Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka by 1,951 points, with Sabalenka holding 7,550 points.
According to the tournament organizers, the 2026 singles competition offered a total prize pool of $1.206 million, with the winner receiving $185,000.
The Kazakh player first officially reached the top of the WTA rankings on Sept. 14, after winning the US Open.
Since beginning her professional tennis career in 2016, Rybakina has won 15 WTA titles in 10 years. Her major achievements include a 2022 Wimbledon title, the 2025 WTA Finals title, and the 2026 Australian Open and US Open titles.
