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Elena Rybakina is spending her milestone 100th career week in the Top 5 of the WTA rankings

And it's her third week at her new career-high of No. 2, with No. 1 possibly in her sights during the clay-court season.

By John Berkok
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 01: Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan poses with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup during the Champions Trophy Shoot on Day 15 of the 2026 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on February 01, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia (Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images)
© 2026 Robert Prange

Elena Rybakina has already had a lot to celebrate so far this year, like capturing the second Grand Slam title of her career at the Australian Open and setting a new career-high ranking of No. 2.

But this week, she has another reason to celebrate—it’s her milestone 100th career week inside the Top 5 of the WTA rankings.

HIGHLIGHTS: Elena Rybakina outhits Aryna Sabalenka for year-end crown | 2025 WTA Finals F2:46

The Kazakh broke into the Top 5 for the first time on May 22nd, 2023, rising from No. 6 to No. 4 after winning the WTA 1000 event in Rome that year. She would eventually spend 77 straight weeks in the elite during that stint before dipping out on November 10th, 2024.

She then popped back into the Top 5 for two more weeks from January 27th to February 9th, 2025, right after the Australian Open.

After struggling for consistency for much of 2025, even falling out of the Top 10, she started building momentum again after Wimbledon, reaching three straight semifinals in Washington D.C., Canada and Cincinnati, then caught fire in the fall, going on an 11-match winning streak to end the year, which included winning the WTA Finals.

After that undefeated run in Riyadh she very deservedly returned to the Top 5, rising from No. 6 to No. 5, and this week is her 21st straight week in the elite since then, bringing her career total to 100.

Rybakina has continued that late 2025 form into early 2026, her best results of the year so far being her run to the title in Melbourne, as well as another final at Indian Wells, where she actually held match point against Aryna Sabalenka before finishing runner-up to the world No. 1 in a third set tie-break, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6).

After Indian Wells, Rybakina rose to No. 2.

And although she’s still 2,917 points behind Sabalenka at the moment, 11,025 to 8,108, it’s very possible that she could challenge her for the top ranking during the upcoming clay-court season.

Sabalenka is defending 2,840 points during this year’s clay-court season, which includes champion’s points in Madrid and finals points at both Stuttgart and Roland Garros, while Rybakina is only defending 870 points, the bulk of which come from the WTA 500 event in Strasbourg, where she won the title last year.