Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula were two of the players competing for WTA Finals glory in Riyadh last week.
Rybakina was praised by Aryna Sabalenka as she stunned the world number one to claim the title for the first time in her career.
Winning the WTA Finals shocked Rybakina, who qualified for the event after a resurgent second half of 2025, which saw her climb the rankings.
Rybakina left Sabalenka in an emotional state by beating her, and now it’s been confirmed that her world ranking has changed ahead of 2026 getting underway.
New WTA rankings released with Elena Rybakina moving up
It’s fair to say that not for many years has the WTA been so competitive, with four different winners of the Grand Slams in 2025 and a host of first-time winners in other WTA events.
Victoria Mboko and Eva Lys are youngsters emerging on the scene, but it’s the top 10 right now that is causing the most intrigue among tennis fans.
After winning the WTA Finals, Rybakina is up to the number five spot in the world rankings and edging back towards her best, with the player previously sitting as high as third.
The biggest loser of Rybakina’s win is Jessica Pegula, who loses her place in the top five and finishes the year sitting in sixth place.
Rybakina will take a lot of confidence from this run at the WTA Finals and having won Wimbledon previously, she will be a big player in the Grand Slams in 2026.
WTA is proving more competitive than the ATP
As the curtain comes down on the WTA campaign, it’s one to look back on with fondness, with the tour becoming ultra competitive.
As the statistics get released regarding the world rankings, they show that all of the top nine players in the world have over 4000 ranking points.
| Rank | Change | Player |
| 1 | – | Aryna Sabalenka |
| 2 | – | Iga Swiatek |
| 3 | – | Coco Gauff |
| 4 | – | Amanda Anisimova |
| 5 | +1 | Elena Rybakina |
| 6 | -1 | Jessica Pegula |
| 7 | – | Madison Keys |
| 8 | – | Jasmine Paolini |
| 9 | – | Mirra Andreeva |
| 10 | – | Ekaterina Alexandrova |
In comparison to the ATP, that is quite remarkable considering that the only players who have more than 4000 ranking points are the players currently occupying the top four spots.
Ben Shelton, down in fifth on that list, has short of 4000 and quite clearly, the competitive nature of the women’s game right now has made things extremely tight.
The WTA Tour in 2025 has been one for the tennis purists, and hopefully, it will retain its watchable nature and entertainment value in 2026.
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