WTA Rankings: Aryna Sabalenka asked if she is concerned by lurking Elena Rybakina
Aryna Sabalenka’s position as No 1 in women’s tennis will once again be under threat at Wimbledon, but the four-time Grand Slam winner has shrugged off concerns that it could be a distraction during the tournament.
Having wasted an opportunity to overtake Sabalenka at the French Open, Elena Rybakina will get another opportunity at the grass-court Grand Slam as she will be 297 points adrift of top spot once their 2025 points are removed.
Sabalenka currently sits on 9,090 points in the Live Rankings, but she will drop 780 points from last year’s semi-final at the All England Club while Rybakina (8,143) will drop only 130 points following her early exit.
It means the Kazakh player needs to reach at least the quarter-final to overtake her great rival and become world No 1 for the first time in her career and end Sabalenka’s long stint at the top.
The 28-year-old has been leading the WTA Rankings for 88 consecutive weeks, having overtaken Iga Swiatek in October 2024.
Sabalenka currently sits on 96 weeks at No 1, putting her at No 11 on the all-time list for most weeks at the top with Lindsay Davenport just two weeks away.
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When asked during her Wimbledon press conference “how much was it a cause for concern” with Rybakina lurking, she replied: “I mean, at this point in my career, I don’t really focus on the ranking.
I think I learned throughout the years, the moment you start focusing on your ranking, things going to – how you say – slip away? Is that how you say, right? Sorry, guys.
“I’m just focusing on myself. I mean, whatever she going to do here, it’s her life, it’s her story. I’m focusing on myself, my story.
“I mean, hopefully by the end of this tournament I can stay on the top of the game.”
With the pair occupying the top two spots in the WTA Rankings, they are in the opposite sides of the 2026 Wimbledon draw and can only meet in the final.
Sabalenka has fifth seed Mirra Andreeva, fourth seed Jessica Pegula – who beat her at the recent Berlin Open – and seventh seed Coco Gauff as potential opponents before the final.
World No 2 Rybakina could face sixth seed and last year’s Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova in the quarter-final and defending champion Iga Swiatek in the semi-final.
Sabalenka has reached the last four on her last three visits at the All England Club while Rybakina lost in the third round last year, the semi-final 2024, quarter-final 2023 and won the title in 2022.
