Elena Rybakina is one victory away from the year-end world number one ranking but can she achieve the feat in Tokyo?
The Kazakh has had an incredible year having won the Australian Open and US Open, achieving some incredible results.
At least for this season Rybakina has dethroned Aryna Sabalenka as the queen of hard courts but isn’t done yet.
The three-time Grand Slam champion is now bidding to achieve the year-end world number one ranking and boosted those hopes by claiming the Ningbo title last week, defeating Leylah Fernandez in the final.
After the win Rybakina was glad to claim the title and is glad to turn her poor form around in finals, “Very happy and definitely for me, Ningbo is already a special place,” Rybakina explained to the WTA website.
“Last year, I started to play really well from this tournament and all the way, so hopefully it’s going to give me more motivation and more good energy to continue this season and start the next one. I feel like I was getting better with each match this week and today it was a really solid performance from my side. I hope that next week I can continue as well.
“I remember I was getting very upset, always losing in the finals and now it’s going my way. Of course, I cannot expect it all the time. The final is the final and there is an opponent who wants to win as much as you. I hope I can continue this way all the way till my career finishes. For now, it’s working and I’m really glad that it is going my way.”
The title in Ningbo means that Rybakina is now one win away from the year-end world number one and looks to achieve the feat in Tokyo.
The top seed gets a bye in the Japanese capital before facing Yulia Putintseva or Maria Sakkari.
If Rybakina doesn’t win her first match in Tokyo then she can still achieve the milestone by claiming a victory at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells in a couple of weeks time.
