Elena Rybakina’s 6-1, 7-6 (4) quarterfinal victory over Jessica Pegula at the BNP Paribas Open secured a significant milestone: When the rankings update Monday, the 26-year-old star from Kazakhstan will rise to No. 2 for the first time in her career, moving ahead of Iga Swiatek.

Rybakina followed that performance by defeating Elina Svitolina on Friday night to reach the Indian Wells final, marking her second title match in Tennis Paradise after winning the event in 2023.

For Swiatek — who lost to Svitolina in Thursday’s quarterfinals — the shift will end a run of nearly four years in which the six-time Grand Slam champion held one of the top two spots in the rankings.

Rybakina has been arguably the hottest player on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz since last October. Then ranked No. 9, she swept six straight matches — including a title in Ningbo — to sneak into the WTA Finals, where she went a perfect 5-0 to capture the title and take home a record-breaking $5.235 million in prize money.

After the offseason, Rybakina built on that momentum by winning the Australian Open, her second career Grand Slam.

With five more wins at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden this past week, Rybakina has now improved to 17-3 on the season. She has also won 12 straight matches against Top 10 opponents.

Next up for Rybakina is a championship showdown with Aryna Sabalenka on Sunday. It will be the 16th meeting between the two, with Sabalenka holding a narrow 8–7 edge in the head-to-head.

Their rivalry has recently tilted in Rybakina’s favor, however. She won their most recent encounters in the finals of the 2025 WTA Finals Riyadh and the 2026 Australian Open.

Rybakina handles Pegula; 11th straight win vs. a Top 10 player

“We know each other’s game very well,” Rybakina said after the semifinals. “It’s a lot about physical, I would say also, because here, the ball is heavy, the rallies a little bit longer than on the other hard courts, which are a little bit quicker.

“It’s gonna be difficult match where we both gonna try to serve well, that’s for sure, put pressure, and, I mean, we will see what’s gonna happen.”