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, formerly Russian, who has reached a career-high ranking of world No. 3. She's the first Kazakhstani player to break into the top 10 and is the current Kazakhstani No. 1. Rybakina made history as the first player from Kazakhstan to win a Grand Slam title, claiming the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. She has accumulated 11 WTA Tour-level singles titles, including the prestigious 2023 Indian Wells Open, the 2023 Italian Open, and the 2025 WTA Finals.

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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.

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.

2015: Belgian International Junior Championships Final

In May 2015, Elena Rybakina reached the final at the Belgian International Junior Championships, losing to Katharina Hobgarski.

2016: US Open Debut and Doubles Final

In 2016, Elena Rybakina debuted at the US Open, reaching the third round. She also reached the doubles final 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, reaching the main draw through qualifying but losing in the first round.

2017: First Grade-A Title and Junior Grand Slam Semifinals

In 2017, Elena Rybakina 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, Elena Rybakina won her first WTA Tour match at the St. Petersburg Trophy and upset world No. 7, Caroline Garcia, helping her rise in the rankings.

June 2018: Federation Switch to Kazakhstan

In June 2018, Elena Rybakina switched federations from Russia to Kazakhstan, shortly after entering the world's top 200 in tennis rankings.

2018: Hired 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. Chesnokov only coached in Moscow and did not travel with her to tournaments.

2018: US Open Qualifying Draw

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: Switched Coaches to Stefano Vukov

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

2019: First WTA Tour Title

In 2019, Elena Rybakina achieved her first consistent success on the WTA Tour, including her first tour title at the Bucharest Open and her debut in the top 100 rankings.

2019: WTA Title and Top 100 Debut

In 2019, Elena Rybakina won her first WTA Tour title at the Bucharest Open and entered the top 100 in the WTA rankings.

2020: Adidas Sponsorship

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

2020: Breakthrough Season

In 2020, Elena Rybakina had a breakthrough season, leading the tour with five finals appearances.

2020: Multiple Finals and Top 20 Ranking

In 2020, Elena Rybakina led the WTA Tour in finals appearances, reaching four of her first five events and climbing to No. 17 in the world rankings, becoming the first Kazakhstani player in the top 20.

2020: Led the Tour in Ace Count

In 2020, Elena Rybakina led the tour in the ace count with 192 aces.

November 2021: Top 15 Debut

In November 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.

January 2022: Adelaide Final and Career-High Ranking

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

2022: Wimbledon Championships Win

In 2022, Elena Rybakina achieved a career highlight by winning the Wimbledon Championships.

2022: Wimbledon Victory and Public Discourse

In 2022, Elena Rybakina won the Wimbledon Championships, becoming the youngest champion since 2011. Her Russian nationality became a point of public discussion due to the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes.

2022: Defeating Collins

In 2022, Rybakina defeated Danielle Collins.

January 2023: Australian Open Final and Top 10 Ranking

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

January 2023: Cooperation with Bank RBK

On January 24, 2023, Elena Rybakina began to cooperate with 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 reached a new career-high of world No. 6 on May 8th, then advanced to the quarterfinals at the Italian Open, achieving a world No. 5 ranking after defeating Jasmine Paolini, Anna Kalinskaya, and Markéta Vondroušová.

June 2023: Rybakina Reaches No. 3 in World Rankings

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. Later, on June 26th, she withdrew from the Eastbourne International event due to a viral illness.

2023: US Open Fourth Round Loss

In 2023, Elena Rybakina lost in the fourth round of the US Open.

2023: Australian Open Final and Top Ranking

In 2023, Elena Rybakina reached the Australian Open final, won two WTA 1000 titles, and achieved a world No. 3 ranking.

2023: Indian Wells Open Victory

In 2023, Elena Rybakina secured a victory against Aryna Sabalenka at the Indian Wells Open, winning in straight sets.

2023: WTA 1000 Titles

In 2023, Elena Rybakina won two WTA 1000 events: the Indian Wells Open and the Italian Open.

2023: Yonex Sponsorship

Since the 2023 French Open, Elena Rybakina has been sponsored by Yonex for clothing and shoes.

April 2024: First Final Since April 2024

Elena Rybakina reached her first final since April 2024 at the Internationaux de Strasbourg.

November 2024: Hired Goran Ivanišević

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

2024: Semifinals 2024

Elena Rybakina reached the semifinals in 2024.

2024: Mutua Madrid Open Encounter

In 2024 at the Mutua Madrid Open, Aryna Sabalenka came back from a set and a break down to win against Elena Rybakina in three sets.

2024: Brisbane International Title and Australian Open Second Round Exit

In 2024, Elena Rybakina won the Brisbane International final against Aryna Sabalenka. However, she exited in the second round at the Australian Open to Anna Blinkova in a match with the longest tie-break in Grand Slam history.

2024: Paolini's Win at French Open Quarterfinals

In 2024, Jasmine Paolini defeated Elena Rybakina 6-2, 7-6 at the French Open quarterfinals, marking her first win over a top-five player at a major and propelling her into her first Grand Slam semifinal.

January 2025: Rehired Vukov as Coach, Later Banned

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

April 2025: Ranking Drops After Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers

In April 2025, Elena Rybakina opted to play in the qualifiers for the Billie Jean King Cup instead of defending her points from winning in Stuttgart, leading to her dropping to No. 11 in the rankings on April 21, 2025.

2025: First Player to Hit Over 500 Aces in a Single Season

In 2025, Elena Rybakina became the first player since Karolína Plíšková to hit over 500 aces in a single season.

2025: WTA Finals Victory Over Świątek

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

2025: WTA Finals Victory

In 2025, Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the finals of the WTA Finals in Riyadh to win her first WTA Finals title.

2025: Quarterfinal Losses at Queen's Club Championships and Berlin Open, Wimbledon Third Round Exit

In 2025, Elena Rybakina lost in the quarterfinals at the Queen's Club Championships and the Berlin Open. She also lost in the third round of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships.

2025: Semifinals at DC Open and National Bank Open, Cincinnati Open Quarterfinals 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 quarterfinals at the Cincinnati Open and the fourth round for the first time in her career at the 2025 US Open.

2025: Internationaux de Strasbourg Title and French Open Fourth Round

In 2025, Elena Rybakina won the Internationaux de Strasbourg, defeating Liudmila Samsonova in the final. She also reached the fourth round of the 2025 French Open.