WTA Rankings: Elena Rybakina and every woman to peak at world No 2
Elena Rybakina has been one of the leading players on the WTA Tour for several years, and her status in the game has now been highlighted by an impressive new milestone.
After her run to the final in Indian Wells, the Kazakh has risen to world No 2 in the WTA Rankings for the very first time, with only world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka ranked ahead of her.
Rybakina has expressed her desire to one day be ranked as the world No 1, but reaching second in the rankings for the first time is undoubtedly a significant step — and, for now, she is part of an exclusive group of women to peak at world No 2.
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Who are the women to peak at world No 2?
Following Rybakina’s rise to a new career-high this week, there are currently 17 different women who have peaked at world No 2 on the WTA Rankings.
Of those 17 women, six are currently still competing on the WTA Tour.
Elena Rybakina: The Kazakh previously had a career-high of world No 3, though has propelled herself to world No 2 thanks to her recent WTA Finals and Australian Open victories. She also triumphed at Wimbledon in 2022.
Coco Gauff: Current world No 4 Gauff reached world No 2 for the first time in June 2024, and was also ranked second throughout stages of 2025. The American is the reigning French Open champion and the 2023 US Open champion.
Ons Jabeur: The winner of five WTA Tour titles, Jabeur reached No 2 in 2022 and has reached three Grand Slam finals. She is currently on maternity leave and is expected to return to action once she has welcomed her first child.
Paula Badosa: Spanish star Badosa has struggled with injury in recent seasons, but reached world No 2 back in 2022. The 28-year-old has won four WTA titles, most notably winning Indian Wells in 2021.
Barbora Krejcikova: Krejcikova reached second in the WTA Rankings back in 2022, off the back of her 2021 French Open triumph. The Czech would later triumph at Wimbledon in 2024.
Vera Zvonareva: The Russian reached world No 2 back in October 2010, after reaching the Wimbledon and US Open finals that summer. Zvonareva, now aged 41, is back competing on the ITF circuit.
Eleven further players have also peaked at world No 2 since the launch of the official WTA Rankings back in 1975. They are:
Virginia Wade: The greatest British female player of the Open Era, Wade was the first-ever world No 2 on the WTA Rankings in 1975. A former US Open and Australian Open winner, she memorably lifted the Wimbledon title in 1977.
Billie Jean King: Perhaps the most important figure in the history of the women’s game, tennis icon King was ranked as No 1 under unofficial systems earlier in her career, though she reached world No 2 in the WTA era in December 1977.
Andrea Jaeger: Jaeger was just 16 when she rose to world No 2 in August 1981, and would later reach French Open and Wimbledon finals before her early retirement in 1985.
Conchita Martinez: Currently the coach of Mirra Andreeva, Martinez reached her career-high in October 1995, during a career which also saw her lift the Wimbledon title in 1994.
Jana Novotna: One of the most popular players of her era, Novotna reached world No 2 in 1997 and won her sole major singles title at Wimbledon in 1998, following three previous Grand Slam final losses. The Czech sadly passed away in 2017.
Anastasia Myskina: Victory at the 2004 French Open made Myskina the first Russian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title, and she reached a high of No 2 in the WTA Rankings later that season.
Svetlana Kuznetsova: One of the leading players of the 2000s, Kuznetsova reached a high of second in the world in September 2007, during a career which also saw her triumph at the 2004 US Open and 2009 French Open.
Petra Kvitova: Kvitova lifted the Wimbledon title in 2011 and 2014, and reached a career-high of second in the WTA Rankings in October 2011. The Czech retired from tennis at the US Open last summer.
Agnieszka Radwanska: Polish great Radwanska reached a career-high of second after reaching her sole major final at Wimbledon in July 2012, though she was also the WTA Finals champion in 2015.
Li Na: Chinese trailblazer Na triumphed at the 2011 French Open and 2014 Australian Open, reaching world No 2 shortly after her second major victory. She would retire from the sport just months later.
Anett Kontaveit: A stunning end-of-year run in 2021 helped Kontaveit reach a career high of second in June 2022, though she was forced to retire just one year later due to a recurring back issue.
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