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. 2. Born in Russia, she represents Kazakhstan and has achieved significant success, becoming the first Kazakhstani player to win a major and reach the top 10. Rybakina boasts 13 WTA Tour-level singles titles, including major victories at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships and 2026 Australian Open. She has also won the 2025 WTA Finals and two WTA 1000 events solidifying her position as a top player in women's tennis.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

November 2013: ITF Junior Circuit Debut

In November 2013, at the age of 14, Elena Rybakina began playing on the ITF Junior Circuit, marking the start of her junior career.

December 2014: ITF Women's Circuit Debut

In December 2014, at the age of fifteen, Elena Rybakina began playing on the ITF Women's Circuit, marking her entry into professional tennis.

2015: Grade-1 Events

From the start of 2015, Elena Rybakina began playing Grade-1 events, though initial success eluded her until she reached the final at the Belgian International Junior Championships in May.

2016: US Open Junior Major Debut and Doubles Result at Trofeo Bonfiglio

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

October 2017: WTA Tour Debut at Kremlin Cup

In October 2017, Elena Rybakina made her WTA Tour debut at the Kremlin Cup, where she qualified for the main draw but lost in the opening round.

2017: First Grade-A Title at Trofeo Bonfiglio and Grand Slam Semifinals

In 2017, Elena Rybakina won her first Grade-A title at the Trofeo Bonfiglio, defeating Iga Świątek. She also reached the semifinals of the Australian Open and the French Open.

February 2018: First WTA Tour Match Win and Upset Victory

In February 2018, Elena Rybakina won her first WTA Tour match at the St. Petersburg Trophy and upset world No. 7 Caroline Garcia, significantly boosting her ranking.

June 2018: Switched federations from Russian to Kazakhstani

Elena Rybakina switched federations from Russian to Kazakhstani in June 2018.

2018: Hiring Andrei Chesnokov

In 2018 at the age of 18, Elena Rybakina hired Andrei Chesnokov as her private coach. 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, marking a change in her international representation.

2018: US Open Qualifying Draw

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

February 2019: Switching Coaches to Stefano Vukov

In February 2019, Elena Rybakina switched coaches to Stefano Vukov.

2019: WTA Title and Top 100 Debut

In 2019, Elena Rybakina won her maiden WTA Tour title at the Bucharest Open and made her top 100 debut in the WTA rankings, marking a breakthrough in her career.

2020: WTA Tour Finals Leader

During the 2020 season, Elena Rybakina led the WTA Tour in finals and finished tied for second in match wins. Reaching the finals at four of her first five events.

2020: Adidas Sponsorship

From the start of 2020, Elena Rybakina was endorsed by Adidas.

November 2021: Top 15 Debut

On November 1, 2021, Elena Rybakina made her debut in the top 15, at world No. 14, becoming the highest ranked Kazakhstani player in history.

2021: French Open Quarterfinals

In 2021, Elena Rybakina reached the quarterfinals of the French Open in both singles and doubles, marking a strong performance at the tournament.

January 2022: Adelaide International Final and Career-High Ranking

In January 2022, Elena Rybakina reached the final of the Adelaide International 1 and achieved a career-high ranking of No. 12.

2022: Australian Open defeats

During the 2023 Australian Open, Rybakina defeated 2022 finalist Danielle Collins again in the third round, and world No. 1 Iga Świątek in the fourth round.

2022: Wimbledon Title

In 2022, Elena Rybakina won her first major title at Wimbledon, a significant achievement in her career.

2022: Wimbledon Championships Title

In 2022, Elena Rybakina won her first major title at the Wimbledon Championships, marking a significant milestone in her career.

2022: Major win in 2022

In 2025, unlike her first major win in 2022, Rybakina received 2,000 points as a result of her championship victory.

January 2023: Australian Open Semifinal and Top 10 Ranking

In January 2023, Elena Rybakina reached the Australian Open final and also achieved a top 10 ranking, becoming the first player representing Kazakhstan to do so.

January 2023: Ambassador for Bank RBK

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

March 2023: Donation to Rising 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 new career-high ranking of world No. 6 on May 8th. She then reached the quarterfinals at the Italian Open and subsequently moved to a career-high ranking of world No. 5.

June 2023: French Open and World Ranking

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

2023: Indian Wells Open final Rematch

Elena Rybakina set up a rematch of the 2023 Indian Wells Open final with Aryna Sabalenka.

2023: Red Bull Sponsorship

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

2023: Australian Open Final

In 2023, Elena Rybakina reached the Australian Open final, further solidifying her position among top players.

2023: Indian Wells Title and Career-High Ranking

In 2023, Elena Rybakina won the Indian Wells title and reached a career-high ranking of world No. 7, marking a significant achievement in her career.

2023: Marketa Vondrousova Wimbledon Champion

In 2025, Elena Rybakina lost to Markéta Vondroušová in the fourth round of the US Open, who was the 2023 Wimbledon Champion.

2023: Rematch of the 2023 Australian Open final

In 2025, Elena Rybakina set up a rematch of the 2023 Australian Open final against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

January 2024: Return to World No. 3

In January 2024, Elena Rybakina returned to the world No. 3 position.

April 2024: Last Final Before Title Win in Strasbourg

Before winning the title at the Internationaux de Strasbourg in 2025, Elena Rybakina's last final was in April 2024.

November 2024: Hiring Goran Ivanišević

In November 2024, Elena Rybakina announced Goran Ivanišević as her new coach after splitting from Vukov.

2024: Wimbledon Championships Semifinals

In 2024, Elena Rybakina reached the semifinals of the Wimbledon Championships.

2024: Brisbane International Win and Australian Open Exit

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

January 2025: Rehiring Vukov and Subsequent Suspension

In January 2025, Elena Rybakina rehired Vukov as an additional coach, but he was subsequently suspended and later banned by the WTA. Italian coach Davide Sanguinetti was hired in his absence. Vukov's ban was removed in August of the same year, and he returned to coaching Rybakina.

April 2025: Ranking drop after Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers

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

2025: WTA Finals Win

At the end of 2025, Rybakina achieved victory at the WTA Finals, adding another prestigious title to her record.

2025: End of Red Bull Sponsorship

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

2025: Adding Stas Charmarsky to Coaching Team

In 2025, Elena Rybakina added Ukrainian tennis coach Stas Charmarsky to her coaching team.

2025: End of Ivanišević Coaching

In 2025, Elena Rybakina and Goran Ivanišević ended their coaching relationship after the Australian Open.

2025: Australian Open Victory

In 2025, Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka to win the Australian Open, securing her second major title and returning to world No. 3.

2025: Madrid Open, Italian Open, Strasbourg title and French Open

In 2025, Elena Rybakina played in the Madrid Open, losing in the third round. She also participated in the Italian Open, again losing in the third round. She won the Internationaux de Strasbourg, capturing her first title in over a year. At the French Open, she reached the fourth round.

2025: Grass Season Quarterfinal Losses

In 2025, Elena Rybakina reached the quarterfinals of the Queen's Club Championships and the Berlin Open, losing to Tatjana Maria and Aryna Sabalenka, respectively. She also lost in the third round of the Wimbledon Championships.

2025: Semifinal Runs and US Open Fourth Round

In 2025, Elena Rybakina reached the semifinals at the DC Open and the National Bank Open in Montreal. She also reached the fourth round of the US Open for the first time in her career.