Elena Rybakina becomes first player in 44 years to win four matches against WTA No. 1s in a single season

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Published at :November 7, 2023 at 10:34 PM

Modified at :January 14, 2024 at 1:00 AM

(Courtesy : Tennis.com)

Only Tracy Austin has more over the course of a single season against the WTA top-ranked player.

Elena Rybakina has won on four occasions against the WTA World No. 1 during the 2023 tennis season. Only Tracy Austin has won more over the course of a single season since the introduction of WTA rankings in 1975. It was in 1979 that Austin won six games against the reigning World No.1s at that time. During that year, only two players had the top ranking against their name, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert.

On her part, Rybakina has beaten Iga Swiatek thrice and Aryna Sabalenka once, both when they were ranked World No. 1, over the 2023 season. She halted Swiatek’s progress in the tracks at the Australian Open, followed by tournaments at Indian Wells and Italy. The World No. 4 then got the better of Sabalenka at the China Open in September.

4 – Elena Rybakina has won four matches against the World No. 1 in 2023: only Tracy Austin in 1979 has more in a single season since the WTA Rankings were introduced in 1975 (six). 5-peat?#WTAFinals | @WTA @WTA_insider @WTAFinals
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) November 3, 2023

Elena Rybakina enjoyed a fruitful run-up to the GNP Seguros WTA Finals in Cancun. She won two masters titles and reached the final of the 2023 Australian Open. Rybakina also achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 3 in June this year.

However, she fell short at Wimbledon, being unable to defend her crown as she ended up on the losing side against Ons Jabeur, who went on to reach the final at SW19.

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The 24-year-old Rybakina also made her first appearance at the end-of-season event. She won one match and lost two in her group, defeating Maria Sakkari but losing to Jessica Pegula and current World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

Mohammed Fazeel

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