Elena Rybakina has claimed the Australian Open to secure her second Grand Slam title in a tense final against Aryna Sabalenka.
Her 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory in Melbourne not only returned a major trophy to her cabinet but also added 1,760 points, pushed her back to third on the WTA list and topped an all time WTA stat.
Rybakina Breaks Serena’s WTA Record
“I always believed I can come back to the level I was [but] we all have ups and downs,”
Elena Rybakina
OptaAce now records Rybakina with the highest winning percentage against reigning world number ones since the WTA rankings began in 1975, at 60%, a remarkable figure that nudges ahead of Serena Williams’ career mark of 58.6%.
That metric matters because Rybakina’s Melbourne triumph also increased her record against world number ones to nine victories and six defeats overall, and it improved her direct head to head with Sabalenka to 7-3 after the final.
How She Won In Melbourne
The final itself was a roller coaster of momentum and resolve, with Rybakina prevailing 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 thanks to relentless serving and timing that kept Sabalenka under pressure in the big moments.
Her run through the draw included big scalps, taking out Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula, and arriving in Melbourne with strong recent form after an undefeated performance at the 2025 WTA Finals where she beat Sabalenka again.
Rybakina’s on-court celebration was famously muted; she later said she needed a few seconds to realise the match had finished because of the tension, a sober reaction after a match that swung back and forth until the end.
A Genuine Shot At World No.1
The title added 1,760 points to her ranking haul and returned her to third in the world, leaving her a comfortable 930 points clear of Amanda Anisimova in fourth while she trails Iga Swiatek by just 368 points.
Crucially for the chase to the top, Rybakina is not defending many points this season, having failed to win a Masters and not progressed past the fourth round at a major last year, which gives her scope to rise if form holds.
Form evidence stacks up: since the end of Wimbledon last year she has amassed the most wins on tour with 38 victories, has lost only once in her past 21 matches and has won her past 10 matches against fellow top-10 opponents.
Her journey has been anything but conventional; Moscow born, she took tennis seriously relatively late at 17 after being steered away from gymnastics and ice skating, switched to represent Kazakhstan in 2018 and claimed her first WTA title in Bucharest in 2019.
The start of Rybakina’s 2025 season was briefly shaken when coach Stefano Vukov received a ban for breaching the WTA Code of Conduct and later denied wrongdoing before being reinstated, but the partnership appears to have regrouped and produced top form.
If she stays healthy and maintains this level, the statistical landscape and her recent run suggest that a push for the world number one ranking by the end of the year is realistic, with Wimbledon flagged as an obvious target for further major glory.
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Christoph Friedrich is a German tennis player and coach currently residing in Oakland, California. He began his tennis journey at the age of eight and has since dedicated his life to the sport. After working as a tennis coach and hitting partner in New York City for eight years, Christoph decided to share his knowledge and experience with tennis players around the world by creating the My Tennis Expert blog. His goal is to make tennis education accessible to everyone and help players select the best equipment for their game, from racquets and strings to shoes and overgrips. Christoph's extensive research and expertise in tennis technology make him a valuable resource for players of all levels.
