Aryna Sabalenka Set to Lose World Number One Ranking to Elena Rybakina
· Sports · BBC Sport, ESPN
Aryna Sabalenka is set to lose her 99-week reign as world number one in the women's tennis rankings following Elena Rybakina's progression to the US Open semi-finals in New York. Rybakina secured the top ranking by reaching the final four and holds the opportunity to further damage Sabalenka's standing after defeating the Belarusian in this year's Australian Open final. Sabalenka advanced to the final by defeating American third seed Jessica Pegula in a straight-sets victory that her coach Anton Dubrov described as her finest display in months. Despite the impending loss of the top ranking, Sabalenka retains the chance to become only the third woman in the Open era to win the New York singles title for three consecutive years. Sabalenka and Rybakina will face each other in the final on Saturday.
Why it matters
The US Open final determines the leadership of the WTA Tour rankings and settles the competition between two of the circuit's dominant Grand Slam champions.
Read the original report — BBC Sport
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