Elena Rybakina hits the ball during her match against Yulia Putintseva at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo Image source, Getty Images
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Rybakina has won three Grand Slams in her career

ByMandeep SangheraBBC Sport journalist
  • Published26 minutes ago

Elena Rybakina secured the year-end women's singles number one ranking by beating Yulia Putintseva in the last 16 of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.

The 6-2 6-3 victory for Rybakina means she cannot be overtaken in the closing weeks of a stellar year in which she has won the Australian Open and US Open titles.

She will play former US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez, who she beat 6-2 6-2 in the Ningbo Open final, in the quarter-finals.