Rybakina secures top spot in 'WTA' rankings

Kazakhstani Elena Rybakina, the world No. 1, has secured her position at the top of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings for the end of the year after defeating compatriot Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 6-3 at the Tokyo Open.

Rybakina rose to the world No. 1 ranking for the first time in her career last month by winning the US Open, displacing Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka from the summit.

She will begin 2027 at the top of the rankings following a comfortable opening-round victory in Tokyo, where she dispatched 67th-ranked Putintseva in just 70 minutes.

The Kazakh player also claimed the Australian Open title in January, bringing her Grand Slam tally to three championships.

The 27-year-old has also secured her place in the WTA Finals next month in Indian Wells.

Rybakina arrived in Tokyo after winning her fourth title of the season last week at the Ningbo Open in China.

She delivered six powerful aces against Putintseva and successfully saved the only break point she faced.

In the quarterfinals, Rybakina will face Canadian Leylah Fernandez, who defeated fifth-ranked Belgian Elise Mertens 6-2, 7-6 (10-8).

The upcoming match will be a rematch for Fernandez, who lost to Rybakina in the Ningbo Open final.

Meanwhile, Japanese player Naomi Osaka, ranked 18th, was eliminated from the Tokyo tournament in the round of 16 after losing to young Slovakian Mia Bohanekova (ranked 144) 3-6, 5-7.

Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, has not won a title this year and has not reached a major final since her return to tennis after a 15-month hiatus following the birth of her daughter, Shai, in 2023.