Rybakina secures year-end top rank with Tokyo win / Photo: Rie KIKUCHI - AFP
Rybakina secures year-end top rank with Tokyo win
World number one Elena Rybakina secured the year-end top ranking after beating fellow Kazakh Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 6-3 at the Pan Pacific Open in Japan on Thursday.
Rybakina became world number one for the first time last month in winning the US Open, replacing Aryna Sabalenka at the summit.
She ensured she will start 2027 on top after a comfortable opening match in Tokyo, swatting aside world number 67 Putintseva in 70 minutes.
The achievement capped a year in which she also won the Australian Open in January and now has three Grand Slam titles.
She has already secured her place at next month's season-ending WTA Finals at Indian Wells.
Rybakina arrived in Tokyo after winning her fourth title of the season last week at the Ningbo Open in China.
She sent down six aces against Putintseva and saved the only break point she faced.
Rybakina's opponent in the quarter-finals will be Canada's Leylah Fernandez, who she beat in the Ningbo final.
H.Raes--JdB
