Elena Rybakina is the current world number two, but has yet to take her place at the top of the women’s rankings.
But the Kazakhstani isn’t far away from doing just that.
If she wins the Canadian Open this week, she will trail the world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, by just four points.
Who is the most underrated player in women’s tennis right now?
Watching Rybakina excel in Toronto, former Grand Slam champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov predicted whether she would ever reach number one.
Yevgeny Kafelnikov insists it’s a matter of when not if Elena Rybakina becomes world number one
During the latest episode of ‘Hard Court‘, Kafelnikov shared his thoughts on Rybakina’s chances of becoming world number one.
“Well, I’ve already said many times that it’s not a question of if Elena Rybakina will become the world number one, but a question of when,” he said (translated from Russian).
“I think sooner or later it will happen. By the end of this year, I am leaning towards it happening.
“It will be difficult for Aryna [Sabalenka] in September, but she’s known for stepping up at the most important moments when she needs to win.
“It’s good to see the competition on the women’s tour; it’s fantastic.
“We see that [Iga] Swiatek seems to be picking up speed, so it won’t be so monotonous anymore.
“The predictable results in women’s tennis will no longer be as they were, perhaps a month or two ago.”
Sabalenka currently leads Rybakina by 614 points in the ‘Live WTA Rankings’, but that gap will close to four points if the Kazakhstani wins the Canadian Open.
The number-one spot would then be up for grabs in Cincinnati.
Live WTA Rankings
| Rank | Name | Country | Points |
| 1 | Aryna Sabalenka | Belarus | 8,670 |
| 2 | Elena Rybakina | Kazakhstan | 8,056 |
| 3 | Jessica Pegula | USA | 6,680 |
| 4 | Coco Gauff | USA | 5,919 |
| 5 | Mirra Andreeva | Russia | 5,324 |
But even if Rybakina can’t take the top spot over the next few weeks, she is well-placed to do so before the end of the year.
She sits third in the ‘Live WTA Race’, but there is very little separating the top five.
Live WTA Race
| Rank | Name | Country | Points |
| 1 | Aryna Sabalenka | Belarus | 5,075 |
| 2 | Mirra Andreeva | Russia | 5,074 |
| 3 | Elena Rybakina | Kazakhstan | 5,027 |
| 4 | Elina Svitolina | Ukraine | 4,624 |
| 5 | Jessica Pegula | USA | 4,405 |
Should Rybakina play the level of tennis she did at the end of the 2025 season, where she won the WTA Finals, again in 2026, there is a strong chance she finishes the year as world number one.
Last five WTA year-end number ones
- 2026 – TBD
- 2025 – Aryna Sabalenka
- 2024 – Aryna Sabalenka
- 2023 – Iga Swiatek
- 2022 – Iga Swiatek
- 2021 – Ashleigh Barty
After a rocky few months, Rybakina has looked a lot closer to that level in Toronto, and is now just two wins away from claiming her third WTA 1000 title.
Can Elena Rybakina win the Canadian Open?
Defeating Naomi Osaka in the Canadian Open quarter-finals, Rybakina booked her place in the last four.
Canadian Open semi-finals
- [9] Elina Svitolina vs [7] Iga Swiatek
- [4] Coco Gauff vs [2] Elena Rybakina
There, she will play the American, Coco Gauff.
Rybakina lost to Gauff in their one previous meeting, at the Canadian Open, four years ago.
The world number two will be determined to level their head-to-head at 1-1, and secure her place in the final.
There, she would play Elina Svitolina or Iga Swiatek.
Rybakina is 4-4 against Svitolina and 6-6 against Swiatek.
It’s tough to say whether Rybakina is the favourite to win in Toronto, but she certainly stands a chance.
First, she will play Gauff in the semi-finals on Wednesday, August 12.
