ATP Player Claiming He Could Beat WTA World No.1 Elena Rybakina Sparks Wild Reactions – “Really Hilarious”
World No.1 Elena Rybakina won her third title of the season at Flushing Meadows.
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Elena Rybakina (Image via X/Universe Tenis)
ATP player Ignacio Buse sparked controversy when he claimed he could beat World No.1 Elena Rybakina during an interview. Rybakina officially became the newest World No.1 on Monday this week. She secured the spot after defeating Qinwen Zheng in the quarterfinals of the recently concluded US Open.
The Kazakh ace not only reached the top of the rankings but also won the New York Slam with a three-set victory over two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, adding her second Grand Slam title of the season after the Australian Open.
In Melbourne, it was Sabalenka whom she defeated. Sabalenka and Rybakina are now tied at 2-2 in head-to-head matchups this season, with the former leading 10-8 in overall meetings.
Buse was also last seen in action at the US Open, where he reached the second round for the first time and lost the match in straight sets to Benjamin Bonzi. He later appeared on the Cristorata streaming channel, where he was asked, “Would you beat the No. 1 in the world from the women’s circuit?” It didn’t take much time for Buse to answer, “Yes.”
Fans give mixed reactions to Ignacio Buse’s Elena Rybakina claim
Such a question and the answer in the affirmative sparked backlash, but Ignacio Buse was not the only one who faced criticism, as the interviewer was called out for asking this question. Many said the Peruvian ace only stated the obvious, as last year Nick Kyrgios defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the Battle of the Sexes in straight sets. They also pointed out that comparing men and women is simply unfair due to their biological differences.
Check out their reactions here:
Kyrgios totalmente drogado y acabado le ganó a sabalenka. No veo porque este no podría.
— Facundo👹🇦🇹 (@facurivas95) September 16, 2026
lo peor son las risas en la entrevista…….
— aniuska (@anallinaresg) September 16, 2026
Es que realmente es muy gracioso con la seguridad que dice que si, es emplan nunca vas a llegar a ser el número 1 y andas diciendo que te ves capaz de ganarle a una número 1 por el hecho de ser mujer. Mejor ponte a jugar tenis y si ganas la mitad de lo que tiene Rybakina avisas.
— david 🐠 (@Rybalcaraz_) September 16, 2026
Sí, de igual forma si le hubiesen preguntado si era posible ganarle al actual número 1 ATP, muy probablemente hubiese dicho lo mismo. La misma Serena lo aceptó alguna vez, hay mucha diferencia entre ambas categorías. La forma pudo mejorar, pero no quita que sea verdad.
— Alejandro Castillo H (@alejandroch1801) September 17, 2026
This is an objective fact, what could you possibly be objecting to? It takes nothing away from women’s tennis, or feminism in general, to acknowledge that no professional female tennis player, even the #1 in the world, could beat a pro male player. Nothing to do with skill. It’s…
— Pre-Raphaelite Orange (@leonardjp94) September 16, 2026
He didn't bring it up. A couple of idiot interviewers did, and he just answered earnestly in exactly the way that every ATP and WTA player would if they were being honest (Serena herself has said the ATP 1000 ranked player would easily beat her).
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) September 16, 2026
The worst criticism one can make…
qué más da, todo el mundo lo sabe, Buse dice la verdad
— Jean Michel Iribarren (@iribarren_jm) September 17, 2026
Kyrgios totalmente drogado y acabado le ganó a sabalenka. No veo porque este no podría.
— Facundo👹🇦🇹 (@facurivas95) September 16, 2026
World No.35 Buse made his Grand Slam main draw debut at last year’s US Open, where he lost in the first round. He skipped this year’s Australian Open but reached the first round of the French Open and the second round of Wimbledon and the US Open.
He has already lifted two tour-level titles this year, winning both. After beating Tommy Paul at the Hamburg Open, he clinched the Winston-Salem Open by defeating Arthur Fery.
Aryna Sabalenka sends message to Elena Rybakina after US Open upset
Disappointment was written all over Sabalenka’s face when she lost the US Open to Rybakina. Frustration also got the better of her as she obliterated her racket after Rybakina served an ace on match point. But Sabalenka is a player who learns from defeats and continues to work toward improvement.
Not the ending I dreamed of… today hurts, but tomorrow we start again. Congratulations @lenarybakina on an amazing tournament and performance last night. Just incredible tennis. New York, thank you for the love, energy and unmatched atmosphere. Playing here is always so special. I’ll see you next year, hungry for more…
Aryna Sabalenka wrote on Instagram
It was the Belarusian’s fifth final of the season. She has now lost two finals and won three titles this year. The 28-year-old lifted trophies in Brisbane, Indian Wells, and Miami, and lost in New York and Melbourne. Rybakina won her third title of the season at Flushing Meadows after wins at the Australian Open and Stuttgart Open. It was Rybakina whom Sabalenka defeated in the Indian Wells final.
The four-time Grand Slam singles champion last won a title at the Miami Open and reached a final for the first time since that win at the US Open. She last won a Major at the 2025 US Open by beating home favorite Amanda Anisimova.
Also read: Jessica Pegula Lauds Aryna Sabalenka for Playing ‘Insane’ Tennis After Getting ‘Mad’
Gouri Das
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