Aryna Sabalenka had held the WTA world No. 1 ranking for 99 consecutive weeks before the 2026 US Open ended.
Sabalenka’s run at No. 1 ended when Elena Rybakina took over after the tournament. Rybakina’s title victory over Sabalenka completed a dramatic change at the top of the women’s rankings, with the champion replacing the player she defeated in the final.
The 99-week figure refers to consecutive weeks, not total weeks across a career. A player’s ranking reign can be interrupted and later resumed, so those categories must be counted separately. It also refers to the official WTA singles ranking rather than a tournament seed or live ranking.
Sabalenka had won the US Open in the two previous years and reached a fourth straight final in 2026. Although she lost the final, her extended period at No. 1 remained one of the tournament’s defining statistical storylines.