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The incredible feat Elena Rybakina can now complete that nobody has managed since Serena Williams 12 years ago

Elena Rybakina is on the verge of achieving a historic milestone in women’s tennis that hasn’t been accomplished since 2014. After a breakout 2026 season that included two Grand Slam titles—the Australian Open in January and the US Open in September—the Kazakhstani star secured her first world No.

1 ranking by surpassing Aryna Sabalenka. Her dominance extended to the WTA Finals last year, where she claimed the championship by defeating Sabalenka in the final, becoming the first player from Kazakhstan and the first Asian competitor to win the event.

With her back-to-back title defense now in focus, Rybakina is poised to become the first player since Serena Williams to repeat as WTA Finals champion, a feat no one has matched in the 12 years since Williams’ three-peat in 2014. The tournament has seen a different winner each season since, with recent champions including Coco Gauff (2024), Iga Świątek (2023), and Caroline Garcia (2022).

Rybakina’s path to a second consecutive title begins with her status as the defending champion, though she’ll face stiff competition from fellow qualifiers like Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, and Mirra Andreeva in the upcoming event.

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