World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka must win the US Open next month to avoid joining a list of top-ranked players without a Grand Slam title in a season. The Belarusian has reached multiple major finals this year but lost them all.
Sabalenka holds the top WTA ranking with 8,550 points, ahead of Elena Rybakina's 8,143. She has compiled a 36-6 record in 2026 and won three titles. However, her Grand Slam results include losses in the Australian Open final, French Open quarterfinals, and Wimbledon.
Since the Open Era began, seven players have finished a season as world No. 1 without a major title. Sabalenka would become the eighth if she fails to win in New York, where she is the two-time defending champion.
Rybakina won the Australian Open this year. The Kazakh player could overtake Sabalenka for No. 1 if she performs well in the upcoming hard-court events while Sabalenka exits early at the US Open.