Thursday’s quarterfinals at the Indian Wells Open delivered a dramatic shake-up. Iga Swiatek, the current No. 2, fell to Elina Svitolina, while Elena Rybakina, ranked No. 3, defeated Jessica Pegula. Now, as the reigning Australian Open champion in the final, the Kazakh star has surged past the Pole in the tennis rankings.

Elena Rybakina is set to pass Iga Swiatek for the No. 2 spot when the new rankings are released by the WTA next Monday. It will mark a new career-high ranking for her.

Rybakina needed to finish one round further than Swiatek to overtake her. That opportunity appeared after Swiatek’s tough loss earlier in the tournament. She fell 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to Elina Svitolina.

With the door open, Rybakina stepped forward confidently. She defeated Jessica Pegula 6-1, 7-6 (4) in the quarterfinals. The match showed both her power and resilience under pressure.

She stormed through the opening set with authority. The second set, however, turned into a battle after she trailed 4-1. Rybakina fought back and forced a tiebreak before sealing the victory.

“It really happened quite quickly,” Rybakina said of the early second-set deficit. “I have to say, Jessica played well a couple of points, and I played a little bit passive, and it turned around very quickly.”

The momentum carried into the semifinals at the Indian Wells Open. Rybakina defeated world No. 9 Svitolina 7-5, 6-4 in one hour and 46 minutes. The victory sent her to her second final at the event.

The win also extended an impressive streak. It marked her 12th consecutive victory over Top 10 opponents. The run began last October at the Ningbo Open, where she also lifted the title.

That stretch turned Rybakina into one of the hottest players on the WTA Tour. She swept six matches in Ningbo and qualified for the WTA Finals, where she went 5-0 and captured the trophy along with a record $5.235 million prize.

She continued the surge by winning the Australian Open, her second major title. Since 2000, she has become only the fifth player with 12 straight wins over Top 10 rivals, joining Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Justine Henin, and Swiatek. 

Now she prepares for a showdown against Aryna Sabalenka tomorrow, while Swiatek shifts focus toward the upcoming Miami Open.

Iga Swiatek suffers five consecutive top-10 defeats

Iga Swiatek faced a major setback after losing to Danielle Collins in the third round of the Italian Open in 2025. The defeat pushed her down to No. 3 in the rankings. It was the first time in three years she had fallen outside the top two.

Before that drop, Swiatek had spent 125 weeks as world No. 1. Her dominance on the tour had shaped an era in women’s tennis. The sudden ranking shift raised questions about whether her long reign had finally ended.

Her struggles continued during the grass season. She entered the Wimbledon Championships as the eighth seed. Expectations were lower than usual. Yet the Polish star responded spectacularly. She thrived on the grass courts at SW19. Swiatek captured her first Wimbledon title and silenced many doubts.

She continued her strong run by winning the Cincinnati Open. After the US Open, she climbed back into the top two in the world rankings. For a moment, it felt like stability had returned.

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However, the momentum did not last long. At the WTA Finals, Swiatek exited early again. It marked the second straight year she failed to advance past the round-robin stage.

She began the 2026 season on a positive note. Swiatek helped Poland win the United Cup. Fellow Pole Hubert Hurkacz also played a key role during the team event. But the challenges returned at the AO. Swiatek ran into eventual champion Elena Rybakina. The match served as a harsh reminder of the competition at the top.

Another shock came at the Qatar Open. Swiatek had never lost a WTA 1000 match after winning the first set. She had previously won 109 consecutive matches in that situation.

That incredible streak ended against Maria Sakkari. The Greek player produced a comeback victory in the quarterfinals. It was a rare collapse for the Polish star.

Since then, Swiatek has struggled to reach the final stages of tournaments. Excluding the United Cup, she has not made a semifinal. Another quarterfinal defeat followed at the Indian Wells Open.

Her recent record against top players has also raised concerns. She lost to Rybakina and Amanda Anisimova at the WTA Finals, then to Coco Gauff and Belinda Bencic at the United Cup. 

The struggles continued when Rybakina beat her at the AO, and most recently, Elina Svitolina defeated her at Indian Wells, deepening questions about when the former world No. 1 will rediscover her peak form.