Elena Rybakina schedule: Where will Australian Open champion play across 2026?
Elena Rybakina ended her long wait for a second Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open on Saturday, and all eyes will be on how the Kazakh now pushes on across the rest of 2026.
A near-flawless tournament for Rybakina culminated in a thrilling 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win over world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final Down Under, with the 26-year-old finally adding to her 2022 Wimbledon triumph.
Triumph for the Kazakh in Melbourne propels her back up to her career-high of world No 3 in the WTA Rankings, and Rybakina will surely be eyeing further breakthroughs across the year.
With the world No 1 ranking now looking like a real possibility for Rybakina this year, we look at where she could play across the rest of 2026.
(WTA 1000) Qatar Open — February 8-14
Rybakina may choose to rest following her impressive run in Melbourne, but she will most likely return to action at the Qatar Open — the first WTA 1000 event of the 2026 season.
The world No 3 was runner-up to Iga Swiatek at this event back in 2024, and was beaten by the Pole in the quarter-final twelve months ago.
(WTA 1000) Dubai Tennis Championships — February 15-21
The second of two back-to-back WTA 1000 events during the Middle East Swing, the Dubai Tennis Championships take place directly after action in Doha.
Rybakina was a finalist at the tournament when it was a WTA 500-level event in 2020, and was a semi-finalist in Dubai last February, falling to eventual champion Mirra Andreeva.
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(WTA 1000) Indian Wells — March 4-15
Having lifted her first WTA 1000 title in Indian Wells three years ago, Rybakina will be eyeing up another deep run in the desert — competing at one of the most prestigious events on tour.
The world No 3 withdrew from her title defence in 2024 due to injury and was beaten in the fourth round by eventual champion Andreeva in 2025.
(WTA 1000) Miami Open — March 17-29
A Miami Open runner-up to Petra Kvitova in 2023 and to Danielle Collins in 2024, a deep run inside the Hard Rock Stadium could well be one of the Kazakh’s key targets across the spring.
She will be hoping to at least improve on her 2025 display, having lost in three sets to Ashlyn Krueger in the second round last season.
(World Cup) Billie Jean King Cup qualifying round — April 10-11
Rybakina has been a regular for Kazakhstan in the Billie Jean King Cup in recent years, but will she compete in 2026?
Kazakhstan have been drawn against Canada in the qualifying round, though Rybakina could choose to prioritise her European clay swing.
(WTA 500) Stuttgart Open — April 13-19
Rybakina missed the 2025 Stuttgart Open, but could she be in line for a return to the WTA 500 event in 2026?
The Kazakh lifted the title on her last appearance in 2024, ending the reign of champion Swiatek in the semi-final before defeating Marta Kostyuk in the final.
(WTA 1000) Madrid Open — Apr 21 – May 3
The first of two WTA 1000 events during the clay-court swing, Rybakina was a semi-finalist at the Madrid Open in 2024 — serving for the match before being beaten by Sabalenka.
She will hope to improve on a round-three exit in 2025, having fallen to Elina Svitolina inside the Caja Magica last April.
(WTA 1000) Italian Open — May 5-17
Rybakina captured the second of her two WTA 1000 titles at the Italian Open back in 2023, though has had a rocky ride at the event since then.
The Kazakh was forced out of her 2024 title defence due to illness, and was then beaten by Bianca Andreescu in the third round last May.
(Grand Slam) French Open — May 24 – Jun 7
The second Grand Slam event of the year will take place at Roland Garros in late May, with Rybakina likely to be a key contender for the title.
The world No 3 was a quarter-finalist at the event in 2021 and 2024, though she was beaten by Swiatek in three sets in the fourth round last summer.
(WTA 500) Queen’s Club Championships — June 8-14
Rybakina was among the leading WTA stars in action when women’s tennis returned to Queen’s after a 52-year absence in 2025, and could return again in 2026.
The Kazakh was a quarter-finalist at the WTA 500 event last June, falling to surprise eventual champion Tatjana Maria in the last eight.
(WTA 500) German Open — June 15-21
The Kazakh was also a quarter-finalist at the German Open in Berlin on grass last June, spurning four match points in a tight three-set loss to world No 1 Sabalenka.
She has been a regular at the event in recent times, having competed at the event for the past three seasons ahead of a likely 2026 campaign.
(Grand Slam) Wimbledon — Jun 29 – Jul 12
Wimbledon arguably offers Rybakina her best chance of further major success in 2026, having beaten Ons Jabeur in the final to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish back in 2022.
The Kazakh’s third-round exit to Clara Tauson in 2025 was her earliest-ever SW19 defeat, though it appears she is now back playing much better tennis.
(WTA 1000) Canadian Open — August 2-13
Rybakina started her hard-court season in Washington in 2025, but with her ranking in a much better place now, the Kazakh will likely take extra rest post-Wimbledon before action in Toronto.
The world No 3 was a Canadian Open semi-finalist in Montreal in both 2023 and 2025, though missed the event when it was last held in Toronto back in 2024.
(WTA 1000) Cincinnati Open — August 13-23
Rybakina reached her first Cincinnati Open semi-final in 2025, and will be looking to build on that result in the second WTA 1000 event held across the hard-court summer.
The Kazakh beat reigning champion Sabalenka in the quarter-final last August, before a semi-final exit to eventual 2025 winner Swiatek.
(Grand Slam) US Open — Aug 30 – Sep 13
The final Grand Slam event of 2026, Rybakina will be hoping to break new ground at the US Open — in what has traditionally been her weakest major.
The world No 3 reached the second week for the first time in 2025, though was beaten by Marketa Vondrousova in three sets in the fourth round.
(World Cup) Billie Jean King Cup Finals — September 21-27
Should Kazakhstan qualify, Rybakina will likely be in action for her nation in Shenzhen, with the country looking to win the World Cup of women’s tennis for the first time.
Rybakina beat Jessica Pegula in her quarter-final singles rubber last September, though she was then beaten in the decisive doubles rubber alongside Yulia Putintseva.
(WTA 1000) China Open — Sep 30 – Oct 11
The penultimate WTA 1000 event of 2026, Rybakina will likely kick off her Asian swing at the China Open in Beijing.
She was a semi-finalist at the tournament in 2023, though she was beaten by Eva Lys in the third round last year.
(WTA 1000) Wuhan Open — October 12-18
The final WTA 1000 event of the year is the Wuhan Open, where Rybakina has reached the quarter-final in both her previous appearances.
The world No 3 was a quarter-finalist back in 2019 and then again in 2025, falling to world No 1 Sabalenka in the last eight.
(WTA 500) Ningbo Open — October 19-25
The Kazakh is the reigning champion in Ningbo, having beaten Ekaterina Alexandrova to lift the title last October — kickstarting her recent resurgence.
However, she may choose to skip the event in 2026 if she has already secured WTA Finals qualification.
(YEC) WTA Finals — November 8-15
Having won the Australian Open title, Rybakina is all but guaranteed qualification for the WTA Finals in Riyadh.
New rules introduced by the WTA in 2024 mean that a Grand Slam champion only needs to finish inside the top 20 of the WTA race to qualify for the year-end championships, though Rybakina is already well placed to finish inside the top eight.
The Kazakh is the reigning WTA Finals champion, having not lost a match on her way to the title in Riyadh last November.
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