Rybakina and Sabalenka set to battle for World No. 1 ranking at Wimbledon 2026

Elena Rybakina’s pursuit of the WTA World No. 1 ranking at Wimbledon 2026 is set to hinge on her grass-court performance against Aryna Sabalenka. Qazinform News Agency, citing Sports.kz, reports that Rybakina is currently No. 2 and has a realistic path to overtake Sabalenka after Wimbledon. Sabalenka must defend 780 points from last year’s semifinal, while Rybakina is defending only 130 points for reaching the third round. After the points are removed before the tournament starts, Sabalenka would sit on 8,310 points versus Rybakina’s 8,013. With the 2026 Championships in London from June 29 to July 12, Rybakina would need to outperform Sabalenka; if she reaches the final, Sabalenka may need to match her. The ranking changes will be decided on Wimbledon’s courts.