Key Takeaways
- Elena Rybakina lost her debut match as world number 1 to Alina Charaeva 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 at the China Open while managing a foot issue.
- Rybakina joined Naomi Osaka as the only two WTA players in history to lose their opening match after reaching the number 1 ranking.
- Iga Swiatek holds the WTA record for the most consecutive wins from a debut at world number 1 with 20.
Shock opening defeat in Beijing
Elena Rybakina’s reign atop the women’s rankings began with an unexpected setback at the China Open. The freshly minted world number 1, who claimed the summit after winning the US Open this season to become the 30th player in WTA history to achieve the ranking, faltered in her first outing with the top seeding.
Rybakina was defeated 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 by world number 118 Alina Charaeva. Rybakina entered the match struggling with a foot issue, but the early exit placed her in exceptionally rare company on the tour.
Unwanted milestone shared with Naomi Osaka
With the three-set loss, Rybakina became only the second woman in WTA history to lose her very first match after rising to world number 1. The only other player to suffer that fate is Naomi Osaka.
Osaka ascended to the world number 1 position for the first time following her title run at the Australian Open in 2019. In her debut tournament at the top of the rankings at the Dubai Tennis Championships, Osaka was swept aside 6-3, 6-3 by Kristina Mladenovic, who was ranked 67th at the time. Prior to Osaka’s defeat, competitors such as Simona Halep, Angelique Kerber and Kim Clijsters had come closest to an immediate loss, each managing to win 1 match before falling.
Osaka responded swiftly to her initial stumble by defeating Mladenovic in their rematch at her very next tournament.
Longest winning streaks from debut at number 1
While Rybakina and Osaka both faced immediate stumbles upon reaching the top of women’s tennis, other former number 1 players enjoyed extended streaks immediately following their ascent.
| Player | Consecutive wins from debut at number 1 |
|---|---|
| Iga Swiatek | 20 |
| Justine Henin | 16 |
| Victoria Azarenka | 14 |
| Tracy Austin | 12 |
| Martina Hingis | 11 |
Iga Swiatek holds the all-time record, winning 20 consecutive matches immediately after becoming world number 1. That stretch formed part of an overall 37-match winning run that eventually ended at Wimbledon against Alize Cornet.
Elena Rybakina in 2026
At the moment ranked no.1, Elena played her last match on the 3rd of October when she surrendered to world no.118 Alina Charaeva 3-6 6-4 6-3 in the 2nd round in Beijing (draw).
This year Elena has an overall 49-14 win-loss record. The Kazakhstani clinched 3 titles in 2026 at the Australian Open, Stuttgart and U.S. Open.
