Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Elena Rybakina

Discover the career path of Elena Rybakina, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Elena Rybakina is a Kazakhstani professional tennis player, currently ranked world No. 3 in singles by the WTA. Originally from Russia, she represents Kazakhstan and has achieved significant success, including winning the 2022 Wimbledon Championships and the 2026 Australian Open. Rybakina has secured 12 WTA Tour-level singles titles, including the 2025 WTA Finals and two WTA 1000 events. She holds the distinction of being the first Kazakhstani player to win a major tournament and break into the world's top 10 rankings.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

November 2013: ITF Junior Circuit Debut

In November 2013, at the age of 14, Rybakina began playing on the ITF Junior Circuit.

December 2014: ITF Women's Circuit Entry

In December 2014, at the age of fifteen, Rybakina began playing on the ITF Women's Circuit.

2015: Grade-1 Events

From the start of 2015, Rybakina began playing Grade-1 events, reaching the final at the Belgian International Junior Championships in May.

2016: US Open Debut and Doubles Final

In 2016, Rybakina made her junior-major debut at the US Open, reaching the third round. She also finished as runner-up in doubles at the Trofeo Bonfiglio with Amina Anshba.

October 2017: WTA Tour Debut

In October 2017, Rybakina made her WTA Tour debut at the Kremlin Cup, reaching the main draw through qualifying but losing in the opening round.

2017: Final Junior Tour Year

2017 was Rybakina's last year on the junior tour. She won her first Grade-A title at the Trofeo Bonfiglio, defeating Iga Świątek, and reached the semifinals of the Australian Open and French Open.

February 2018: First WTA Tour Win and Top 10 Upset

In February 2018, at the St. Petersburg Trophy, Rybakina won her first WTA Tour match and upset world No. 7 Caroline Garcia, rising to No. 268 in the world.

2018: Hiring Andrei Chesnokov as Private Coach

In 2018, Elena Rybakina hired Andrei Chesnokov to be her private coach at the age of 18. This was the first time she had an individual coach.

2018: Federation Switch to Kazakhstan

In 2018, Elena Rybakina switched federations from Russia to Kazakhstan.

2018: US Open Qualifying

In 2018, playing for Kazakhstan, Rybakina entered her first Grand Slam qualifying draw at the US Open, but did not reach the main draw.

February 2019: Coaching Change to Stefano Vukov

In February 2019, Elena Rybakina switched coaches to Stefano Vukov, a Croatian former tennis player, who became her first travelling coach.

2019: Maiden WTA Title and Top 100 Debut

In 2019, Rybakina won her maiden WTA Tour title at the Bucharest Open in July, making her top 100 debut in the WTA rankings at No. 65.

2019: Start of Rivalry with Aryna Sabalenka

Since 2019, Rybakina has played Aryna Sabalenka 15 times, with Sabalenka leading their head-to-head 8–7.

2020: Adidas Endorsement

From the start of 2020, Elena Rybakina was endorsed by Adidas, before switching to Yonex.

2020: Most Finals Appearances

In 2020, Elena Rybakina played in five finals, the most of any player that year.

November 2021: Top 15 Debut

In November 2021, specifically on 1 November 2021, Elena Rybakina made her debut in the top 15, reaching world No. 14 and becoming the highest-ranked Kazakhstani player in history.

2021: French Open Quarterfinals

In 2021, she reached the quarterfinals of the French Open in both singles, defeating Serena Williams in the fourth round, and doubles, partnering with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

2021: Rivalry with Iga Świątek Begins

Since 2021, Rybakina and Iga Świątek have met 12 times, with their head-to-head tied 6–6.

January 2022: Adelaide International Final and Career-High Ranking

In January 2022, Elena Rybakina started her season at the Adelaide International 1, reaching the final but losing to Ash Barty. She achieved a career-high ranking of No. 12 on January 17, 2022.

2022: Wimbledon Victory and Nationality Discourse

In 2022, Elena Rybakina won the Wimbledon Championships, defeating Ons Jabeur in the final to secure her first major title. Following her victory, her Russian nationality and previous representation of Russia became a topic of discussion, given the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes at Wimbledon due to the invasion of Ukraine.

2022: Wimbledon Championships Victory

In 2022, Elena Rybakina won the Wimbledon Championships, securing her first major title.

2022: Wimbledon Title

In 2022, Rybakina won her first major title at Wimbledon.

2022: Rybakina major win

Unlike her first major win in 2022, Rybakina received 2,000 points as a result of her championship victory.

January 2023: Australian Open Final and Top 10 Ranking

In January 2023, Elena Rybakina reached the Australian Open final, losing to Aryna Sabalenka, and entered the top 10 WTA rankings on January 30, 2023, making her the first player representing Kazakhstan to reach the top 10.

January 2023: Ambassador for Bank RBK

On January 24, 2023, Elena Rybakina became an ambassador for Bank RBK.

March 2023: Donation to Female Tennis Players

In March 2023, Elena Rybakina donated ₸35 million to rising female tennis players in Kazakhstan.

May 2023: Career-High Ranking and Italian Open Quarterfinals

In May 2023, Elena Rybakina achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 6 on May 8th. She advanced to the quarterfinals at the Italian Open, securing a new career-high ranking of world No. 5. She also defeated world No. 1, Iga Świątek, to reach her first Rome semifinal and reached her third WTA 1000 final of the season.

June 2023: French Open and World Ranking

In June 2023, despite a walkover at the French Open due to respiratory illness, Elena Rybakina reached No. 3 in the world rankings on June 12th. On June 26th, she withdrew from the Eastbourne International event due to a viral illness.

2023: Red Bull Sponsorship

From 2023 through 2025, Elena Rybakina was sponsored by Red Bull.

2023: Indian Wells Victory and Career High Ranking

In 2023, Elena Rybakina won her first WTA 1000 title at Indian Wells, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final and achieving a new career-high singles ranking of world No. 7.

2023: Markéta Vondroušová Wimbledon Champion

In 2023, Markéta Vondroušová was crowned Wimbledon Champion

2023: 2023 Australian Open finals

In 2023, Rybakina and Sabalenka faced off in the 2023 Australian Open finals.

2023: Rise to World No. 3

In 2023, Rybakina reached the Australian Open final and rose to world No. 3 for the first time.

January 2024: World No. 3 Ranking in January 2024

In January 2024, Rybakina returned to the world No. 3 position for the first time since January 2024.

April 2024: Internationaux de Strasbourg final since April 2024

In April 2024 Rybakina reached her first Internationaux de Strasbourg final since April 2024.

November 2024: Hiring Goran Ivanišević

In November 2024, Elena Rybakina announced Goran Ivanišević as her new coach after splitting from Vukov after that year's US Open.

2024: Brisbane International Victory and Australian Open Exit

In 2024, Elena Rybakina started her season by winning the Brisbane International final against Aryna Sabalenka. However, she later exited in the second round at the Australian Open to Anna Blinkova in a match that included the longest tie-break in Grand Slam history.

2024: 2024 Madrid Open Match

In 2024, Rybakina lost to Sabalenka at the 2024 Madrid Open in three sets, despite winning the first set.

2024: Grand Slam semifinal since Wimbledon 2024.

In 2024, Rybakina reached her first Grand Slam semifinal since Wimbledon 2024.

2024: Wimbledon Championships

In 2024, Rybakina reached the semifinals in Wimbledon Championships.

April 2025: Ranking Drop After Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers

On April 21, 2025, Elena Rybakina dropped to No. 11 in the rankings after opting to play in the qualifiers for the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup instead of defending 500 points from her win in Stuttgart the previous year.

2025: Red Bull Sponsorship

From 2023 through 2025, Elena Rybakina was sponsored by Red Bull.

2025: Grass Season Performances

In 2025, Elena Rybakina participated in the grass season, reaching the quarterfinals of the Berlin Open. Rybakina lost in the third round of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships.

2025: WTA Finals Victory

In 2025, Elena Rybakina won the WTA Finals, adding to her list of achievements.

2025: Brisbane International Quarterfinals and Australian Open Victory

In 2025, Rybakina began her season at the Brisbane International, reaching her first major quarterfinal since Wimbledon 2024, after losing to Karolína Muchová. She then won the Australian Open, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final, securing her second major title.

2025: 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh

In 2025, Rybakina came back from a set down to win at the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh and snapped a four-match losing streak against Świątek.

2025: 2025 Season Events

In 2025, Rybakina competed in several tournaments, including the Madrid Open, the Italian Open, and the Internationaux de Strasbourg, where she captured her first title in over a year. She also reached the fourth round of the 2025 French Open.

2025: Ningbo Open and WTA Finals Qualification

In 2025, Rybakina won the Ningbo Open, earning her second title of the year. She also secured the last remaining spot at the 2025 WTA Finals after the Pan Pacific Open, before withdrawing from the Tokyo tournament.

2025: Working relationship with Goran Ivanišević

In 2025, Rybakina worked together with Goran Ivanišević until her 2025 Australian Open exit.

2025: 2025 DC Open, National Bank Open and Cincinnati Open results

In July 2025, Rybakina reached the semifinals of the 2025 DC Open and the 2025 National Bank Open. In August 2025, at the Cincinnati Open, she defeated world No. 6 Madison Keys and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, before losing in the semifinals. Seeded 9th at the 2025 US Open, Rybakina reached the fourth round for the first time in her career.

2026: Australian Open Title

In 2026, Elena Rybakina won the Australian Open, marking another major title in her career.

2026: 2026 Australian Open quarterfinals

In 2026, Rybakina defeated Świątek at the 2026 Australian Open quarterfinals in straight sets to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal since Wimbledon 2024.