Elena Rybakina is skipping the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers for one single reason: to chase the world No. 1 ranking. The reigning Australian Open champion opted out of Kazakhstan’s upcoming tie against Canada to preserve her body for a grueling clay-court season and a direct run at Aryna Sabalenka’s top spot.
Why Elena Rybakina and Kazakhstan Made a ‘Joint Decision’ to Target the World No. 1 Ranking
Kazakhstan will host Canada in Astana on April 10 and 11, with a spot in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals at stake, but the home side will be without its biggest star. Kazakhstan’s captain, Yuri Shchukin, addressed the media in Astana to explain the reason for Elena Rybakina’s “sacrifice.” He made it clear that the national federation is fully backing the 26-year-old’s pursuit of a major milestone in the sport.
“You see, after Australia, she’s second in the world rankings, and she has the opportunity to become number one. But with such a busy schedule, she has to sacrifice some tournaments, even ones like the Billie Jean King Cup, where you compete for your country. All of this is for the sake of achieving this for the country and becoming the best in the world. This is a joint decision of the tennis federation; it wasn’t just Lena who decided this,” Shchukin said.
Shchukin also rejected the idea that Rybakina skipped the event because it is the qualifying round rather than the finals. The captain emphasized the need to avoid risking injury while she had the opportunity to make history as the first Kazakhstani to hold the world No. 1 ranking.
“Most likely not, because, as I said, in tennis, such an opportunity to become number one doesn’t always present itself. This is a historic moment. So, I wouldn’t want to miss it. You never know, because injuries happen in sport. That’s why this joint decision was made,” he added.
Despite Rybakina’s absence, Kazakhstan is still fielding a strong lineup against Canada. Yulia Putintseva leads a squad facing a Canadian team that is also missing top talent, including Victoria Mboko and Leylah Fernandez.
Elena Rybakina’s Battle With Aryna Sabalenka for World No. 1
Amid her absence from the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers, Rybakina will focus all her attention on preparing for the European clay-court season, knowing the challenge of catching Aryna Sabalenka will demand a major push. The Belarusian sits comfortably atop the WTA rankings with 11,025 points and is riding a 77-week streak as the world’s best player. Meanwhile, the Kazakh holds the No. 2 spot with 8,108 points, trailing by 2,917 points.
MORE: Elena Rybakina Says ‘Tough’ Aryna Sabalenka Rivalry Forces Her To Improve Weaknesses
Rybakina closed the gap with a major boost from her 2026 Australian Open triumph, but Sabalenka swiftly countered by sweeping the Sunshine Double in March. With the French Open and two WTA 1000 events on the horizon, both players will be eager to build momentum as the battle for world No. 1 heats up.
Next up, both Rybakina and Sabalenka are set to compete at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, with the WTA 500 event kicking off on April 13 in Stuttgart.
