Over the last several years, Elena Rybakina has developed a reputation of being one of the women's tour's biggest giant-killers—and that reputation took center stage at the WTA Finals in Riyadh this past week.
Not only did she go undefeated in five matches to win the title—all of those wins coming against fellow Top 10 players—but those wins included a 6-3, 7-6 (0) victory over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday's final.
And with that, Rybakina has now won 8 of her last 12 matches against reigning world No. 1s, going 8-6 against them overall in her career.
ELENA RYBAKINA VS WORLD NO. 1s (8-6):
- l. to Barty in ’20 Australian Open 3rd Rd, 6-3, 6-2
- l. to Barty in ’22 Adelaide F, 6-3, 6-2
- d. Swiatek in ’23 Australian Open 4th Rd, 6-4, 6-4
- d. Swiatek in ’23 Indian Wells SFs, 6-2, 6-2
- d. Swiatek in ’23 Rome QFs, 2-6, 7-6 (3), 2-2 ret. (thigh injury)
- d. Sabalenka in ’23 Beijing QFs, 7-5, 6-2
- l. to Sabalenka in ’23 WTA Finals RR, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
- l. to Swiatek in ’24 Doha F, 7-6 (8), 6-2
- d. Swiatek in ’24 Stuttgart SFs, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
- d. Sabalenka in '24 WTA Finals RR, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
- l. to Sabalenka in '25 Berlin QFs, 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (6)
- d. Sabalenka in '25 Cincinnati QFs, 6-1, 6-4
- l. to Sabalenka in '25 Wuhan QFs, 6-3, 6-3
- d. Sabalenka in '25 WTA Finals F, 6-3, 7-6 (0)
Rybakina has been ranked as high as No. 3 herself. She's projected to rise from No. 6 to No. 5 on Monday following her triumph in Riyadh.