Kazakhstan produced the first player to reach world No. 1 in tennis in any discipline at the 2026 US Open.
Elena Rybakina became the first Kazakhstani player to achieve a world No. 1 ranking in any tennis discipline. She secured the top women’s singles ranking by reaching the semifinals, before going on to win the US Open title.
Rybakina’s rise added a major national milestone to her tournament success. She was born in Russia but has represented Kazakhstan since 2018, so the ranking record is credited to Kazakhstan in tennis’s competitive national context.
She entered the final as the No. 2 seed and defeated top seed Aryna Sabalenka 6–4, 5–7, 6–2. The victory gave Rybakina her first US Open championship, her third major title and her second major of the 2026 season.