Elena Rybakina Makes Feelings Clear on No.1 Ranking Goal After Aryna Sabalenka’s Canadian Open Exit

Elena Rybakina has a golden opportunity to dethrone Aryna Sabalenka from the top of the rankings table. At present, Rybakina has 7881 points, while Sabalenka has 8670 points in the live rankings.

If the Kazakh ace clinches the title at the Canadian Open, she will have 8666 points. Sabalenka’s campaign in Toronto has already ended.

In the fourth round, Ekaterina Alexandrova clinched a three-set win, improving her head-to-head record to 5-5. The Cincinnati Open will also be crucial. Sabalenka reached the quarterfinals last year, while Rybakina’s run ended in the semifinals. But Rybakina, who is still competing in Toronto, has made it clear that she is not thinking of the No.1 ranking.

I try not to think about it because I still have a lot of matches to win. I haven’t played well on grass, at least not as well as I would have liked.

Elena Rybakina said at the press conference

Rybakina lost in the quarterfinals of the Queen’s Club Championships and in the opening round of the Berlin Open. At Wimbledon, she crashed out after making the third round.

The most important thing now is to see improvement. We’ve worked hard over the last two weeks, especially in preparation for the American swing. It’s important to show the progress we’ve made on court. I think some things are working in this tournament, but it’s not my best version yet. I really try not to think about the standings and points, I want to focus on one match at a time.

Elena Rybakina added

Sabalenka was in red-hot form at the start of the season as she played four finals, winning titles in Brisbane, Indian Wells, and Miami. She lost the Australian Open to Rybakina. But since completing the Sunshine Double, the four-time Grand Slam singles champion has not yet progressed to a final.

Sabalenka will have a huge task at the US Open as she will be competing as the defending champion. Rybakina lost in the fourth round last year.

Elena Rybakina will face Naomi Osaka in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open

Elena Rybakina, in her fourth-round match in Toronto, overcame Liudmila Samsonova in three sets. The win helped the reigning Australian Open champion improve her head-to-head record to 3-4.

It was a very difficult match, as always against her. We both started poorly, and then it turned into a real battle. In the third set, I tried to stay focused on every single point. I was a little unlucky at the beginning in the deciding set, but I’m happy I managed to win in the end. I fought until the last point.

Elena Rybakina said at the press conference

In the quarterfinals, Rybakina will be meeting none other than four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who claimed a straight-set win over home favorite Leylah Fernandez. Rybakina will face the Japanese ace for the first time in her career.

I mean, some hard hitting. She’s an incredible player. She won the Australian Open this year. I’m just really excited to play her, because I have never played her. It’s good to get that information in.

Naomi Osaka said during the on-court interview

Rybakina is a two-time semifinalist at the Canadian Open, while Osaka finished as the runner-up last year, losing to Victoria Mboko.

Osaka last won a title at the 2021 Australian Open. This year, she has played one final so far, and it was at the Bad Homburg Open, which she lost to this year’s Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Muchova. Rybakina, on the other hand, played three finals, winning at the Australian Open and the Stuttgart Open (beat Muchova). She lost the Indian Wells final to Aryna Sabalenka.

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