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 professional tennis player who represents Kazakhstan. Born in Russia, she achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 3, making her the first Kazakhstani player to break into the top 10. Rybakina is the first player from Kazakhstan to win a Grand Slam singles title, having won the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. She has accumulated nine WTA Tour-level singles titles, including two WTA 1000 titles at Indian Wells and the Italian Open in 2023.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

November 2013: Start on ITF Junior Circuit

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

2015: First Grade-1 Final

In 2015, Elena Rybakina reached the final at the Belgian International Junior Championships, which was her first Grade-1 event, but lost to Katharina Hobgarski.

2016: Junior Grand Slam and Doubles Success

In 2016, Elena Rybakina reached the third round of the US Open and was runner-up in doubles at the Trofeo Bonfiglio, alongside Amina Anshba.

October 2017: WTA Tour Debut

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: Final Junior Year and Grade-A Title

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 secured her first WTA Tour match win 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, who was born and playing as a Russian, switched federations to Kazakhstan, shortly after entering the world's top 200.

2018: Hired Andrei Chesnokov as private coach

In 2018, at the age of 18, Rybakina hired Andrei Chesnokov, whom she had already trained with at Spartak Tennis Club, to be her private coach. This was the first time she had an individual coach.

2018: US Open Qualifying

In 2018, representing Kazakhstan, Elena Rybakina entered her first Grand Slam qualifying draw at the US Open but didn't reach the main draw.

February 2019: Switch to Stefano Vukov as coach

In February 2019, Rybakina switched coaches to Stefano Vukov, a Croatian former tennis player. With Vukov as her first travelling coach, Rybakina rapidly improved, rising from just inside the top 200 of the WTA rankings into the top 30 in about a year.

September 2019: Excellent Three-Set Match Performance

From September 2019 through February 2020, Elena Rybakina excelled at three-set matches, winning 13 out of 14.

2019: First WTA Title and Top 100 Debut

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

February 2020: Excellent Three-Set Match Performance

From September 2019 through February 2020, Elena Rybakina excelled at three-set matches, winning 13 out of 14.

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 and reached the top 20, becoming the first Kazakhstani player to achieve this milestone.

November 2021: Top 15 Debut

In November 2021, Elena Rybakina debuted 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: Australian Open doubles final

In 2022 at the Adelaide International 2, Elena Rybakina and partner Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova reached the doubles final.

2022: Wimbledon Championship

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

January 2023: Australian Open Final and Top 10 Ranking

In January 2023, Elena Rybakina reached the Australian Open final and became the first player representing Kazakhstan to reach the top 10 in either the ATP or WTA rankings.

March 2023: Donation to Kazakh Tennis Players

In March 2023, 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. She also reached the quarterfinals at the Italian Open and moved to a new career-high ranking of world No. 5.

June 2023: Rybakina reached No. 3 in the world rankings

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

2023: Australian Open Final and WTA 1000 Titles

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

2023: Indian Wells Title

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

2023: WTA 1000 Victories

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

April 2024: First final since April 2024

In April 2024, Rybakina defeated Wang Xinyu, Magda Linette, and Beatriz Haddad Maia to reach her first final since April 2024.

November 2024: Hired Goran Ivanišević as new coach

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

2024: Brisbane International Win and Australian Open Exit

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

January 2025: Rehiring and Suspension of Vukov

In January 2025, Rybakina rehired Stefano Vukov as an additional coach. However, he was subsequently suspended by the WTA under a code of conduct investigation, and later banned for 12 months.

2025: Partnership with Goran Ivanišević concludes

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

2025: 2025 Season Start and Australian Open Performance

In 2025, Rybakina began her season at the United Cup. She then played in the Australian Open, before losing to eventual champion Madison Keys in the fourth round.

2025: 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships and Indian Wells Performance

In 2025, at the Dubai Tennis Championships Rybakina reached back-to-back-to-back tour-level quarterfinals. She defeated Paula Badosa, after saving six match points and Sofia Kenin to reach her second semifinal in the Middle East swing. At Indian Wells, she defeated Suzan Lamens and Katie Boulter before losing to Andreeva in the fourth round. Having reached the finals the year prior, Rybakina entered the 2025 Miami Open seeded seventh, and lost to Ashlyn Krueger in three sets in the second round. 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 and dropped to No. 11 in the rankings.

2025: 2025 Madrid Open, Italian Open and Internationaux de Strasbourg performance

In 2025, at the Madrid Open, Rybakina defeated Bianca Andreescu before losing to Elina Svitolina. At the Italian Open, she defeated Eva Lys before losing to Andreescu. As a last minute entry into the Internationaux de Strasbourg, Rybakina defeated Wang Xinyu, Magda Linette, and Beatriz Haddad Maia to reach her first final since April 2024. In the final, she defeated Liudmila Samsonova to capture her first title in over a year. Seeded 12th, Rybakina then reached the fourth round of the 2025 French Open, before losing to Iga Świątek.