Elena Andreyevna Rybakina (born 17 June 1999) made history as the first player from Kazakhstan to break into the WTA top 10 rankings in women’s singles. Currently ranked world No. 3, she is also the country’s top-ranked player and a trailblazer for Kazakhstani tennis on the global stage.
Born in Russia, Rybakina switched her federation to Kazakhstan in June 2018 and quickly rose through the ranks. She became the first Kazakhstani to win a Grand Slam title with her triumph at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. In total, she has secured nine WTA Tour-level singles titles, including two WTA 1000 titles at the 2023 Indian Wells Open and the 2023 Italian Open.
As a junior, Rybakina reached a career-high ranking of No. 3. Her WTA breakthrough came in 2019 with a title win at the Bucharest Open and a top 100 debut. In 2020, she led the tour with five finals appearances and later reached the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics. Her 2023 season was equally impressive, featuring a run to the Australian Open final and her climb to a career-high world No. 3 ranking.
Rybakina is known for her powerful serve and aggressive baseline game, with high-speed groundstrokes that make her a formidable opponent on all surfaces.
Rybakina did not receive individual training until she was a junior, instead practicing in a group of about eight players until the age of 15, and then in a smaller group of four until she turned 18. She typically played tennis for only about two hours a day, dedicating an additional three hours to fitness training. Her limited time on court was partly due to attending a regular academic high school, rather than a sports-focused institution, which required her to balance tennis with schoolwork.