The bet that changed everything: Rybakina’s journey to world No. 1

Less than a year ago, Elena Rybakina was fighting simply to make the WTA Finals.

On Saturday, she stood on Arthur Ashe Stadium with the US Open trophy in her hands and the world No. 1 ranking secured.

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The 27-year-old defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to win her first US Open title, complete a remarkable rise to the top of women's tennis and claim her third Grand Slam crown.

The journey to get there has been anything but straightforward.

Born in Russia, Rybakina was not considered a priority by the country's tennis system as a teenager. Her family could not afford the coaching, travel and other costs needed to build a professional career, and she was facing the possibility of going to university in the United States.

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Then Kazakhstan stepped in.

Billionaire businessman Bulat Utemuratov was building a national tennis programme and saw potential in Rybakina. Kazakhstan's federation provided the funding and support that allowed her to continue developing, and in 2018 she switched allegiance.

It proved a pivotal decision.

Four years later, Rybakina won Wimbledon, announcing herself as one of the most dangerous players in the sport. Her huge serve and clean ball-striking made her a formidable opponent, but consistency remained elusive.

Then came a difficult period.

She split with coach Stefano Vukov in 2024 before bringing him back, only for the WTA to provisionally suspend him during an investigation. Rybakina repeatedly said he had never mistreated her, while the WTA later found that Vukov had engaged in "abuse of authority and abusive conduct". The ban was subsequently lifted after an appeal and private arbitration.

The turmoil coincided with a dip in Rybakina's results.

By late 2025, she had failed to reach the quarterfinals at any of the four Grand Slams and had needed a gruelling run of tournaments to qualify for the WTA Finals.

Then everything changed.

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Rybakina won the season-ending title, beating Sabalenka in the final. A few months later, she defeated the same rival again to win the 2026 Australian Open.

Suddenly, the player who had looked vulnerable was becoming almost impossible to stop.

She arrived in New York as the second seed and left as the world's best player.

Rybakina clinched the No. 1 ranking by reaching the US Open semifinals, becoming the 30th woman to top the WTA rankings. She then beat Coco Gauff in three sets before finishing the job against Sabalenka.

What makes the surge even more remarkable is that her appearance in New York was far from guaranteed.

Just weeks earlier, Rybakina had withdrawn from the Cincinnati quarter-finals with an Achilles problem and did not touch a racket for more than a week.

She arrived in New York unsure of what to expect.

She left with a Grand Slam title and the No. 1 ranking.

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"I didn't expect anything like this coming into the tournament," she said after the final.

For Kazakhstan, there is a deeper significance.

Rybakina may have been born in Russia, but the country she chose to represent has embraced her as its own. Utemuratov flew from Almaty to New York for the final, while fans back home stayed awake into the early hours to watch the biggest moment in the country's tennis history.

It was the culmination of a bet Kazakhstan made on a talented teenager who had been overlooked elsewhere.

Rybakina has since repaid that faith many times over.

From a player struggling to find her place at the top of the sport, she is now its leading figure.

And perhaps the most remarkable part is that the climb is still going.