On the day Elena Rybakina officially became world No. 1, she added another achievement to her extraordinary season: the Kazakhstani has become the first singles player to qualify for the 2026 WTA Finals. The prestigious tournament will be held in Indian Wells this year, where the 27-year-old will arrive as the defending champion after going undefeated at the 2025 edition in Riyadh.
In a matter of just a few days, the always calm and gracious Rybakina has won the US Open, risen to No. 1 and secured her place at the WTA Finals. Last year, she was the eighth and final player to qualify for the season-ending event; this year, she has become the first singles player to book her place in Indian Wells.
Rybakina has reached five finals this year, winning the Australian Open, the WTA 500 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and the US Open, while also finishing runner-up at the BNP Paribas Open and National Bank Open. She additionally reached the Miami Open semifinals.
The qualification marks Rybakina’s fourth consecutive WTA Finals appearance. She joins three doubles teams already qualified: Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani, and Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic.
