Namibia Minute.
Tuesday, 6 October 2026
Namibia’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Tuesday, 6 October 2026
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Namibian press · Person

Elena Rybakina

Also known as: the big-serving Kazakh Rybakina · the Moscow-born Rybakina · the 26-year-old Rybakina

Kazakh tennis player who won the 2026 US Open and Australian Open, reaching world number one after defeating Sabalenka in the US Open final.

2026-01-212026-10-06

What’s been said

Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.

  1. March 2026
  2. The Namibian

    Rybakina will arrive in Miami ranked second in the world

    Source

    “Rybakina will arrive in Miami ranked second in the world, climbing one spot to overtake Poland's Iga Swiatek.”

    Sabalenka edges Rybakina to claim long awaited Indian Wells title
  3. The Namibian

    Elena Rybakina beat Elina Svitolina 7-5, 6-4

    Source

    “Sabalenka beat 14th-ranked Czech Noskova 6-3, 6-4 and Rybakina downed Ukraine's Elina Svitolina 7-5, 6-4 to set up a mouth-watering rematch of their Melbourne final.”

    Sabalenka downs Noskova to set Indian Wells title rematch with Rybakina
  4. The Namibian

    Elena Rybakina won 12 straight victories over top-10 opponents

    Source

    “But Rybakina made no mistake as she served for the match a second time, nabbing her 12th straight victory over top-10 opponents.”

    Sabalenka downs Noskova to set Indian Wells title rematch with Rybakina
  5. February 2026
  6. The Namibian

    Elena Rybakina won Australian Open final against Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4

    Source

    “Elena Rybakina took revenge over world number one Aryna Sabalenka to win a nail-biting Australian Open final on Saturday and clinch her second Grand Slam title.”

    Ice cool Rybakina beats Sabalenka in tense Australian Open final
  7. The Namibian

    Elena Rybakina beat Iga Swiatek in quarter-finals and Jessica Pegula in last four

    Source

    “Rybakina beat second seed Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals and sixth seed Jessica Pegula in the last four in Melbourne.”

    Ice cool Rybakina beats Sabalenka in tense Australian Open final
  8. January 2026
  9. The Namibian

    Rybakina won last time they met, at WTA Finals in November

    Source

    “While Sabalenka leads their head-to-head record 8-6, Rybakina won the last time they met, in the decider at the WTA Finals in November in Saudi Arabia, in straight sets.”

    Rybakina stands in way of Sabalenka bid for third Melbourne title
  10. The Namibian

    Rybakina defeated Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6 in the semi-finals

    Source

    “said the American after going down 6-3, 7-6 (9/7) in the semi-finals.”

    Rybakina stands in way of Sabalenka bid for third Melbourne title

Sunday 13 September

  1. Rybakina defeats Sabalenka to win US Open, become world number one

    Elena Rybakina won the US Open tennis championship with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday, securing her third Grand Slam title and rising to world number one in the rankings.

    13 September 2026 · The Namibian →

Saturday 12 September

  1. Shelton reaches first Grand Slam final at US Open

    Ben Shelton defeated Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in the US Open semi-final to reach his first Grand Slam final, where he will face top seed Alexander Zverev, who beat Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (8/6). If Shelton wins, he would become the first American man to win a Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick at the 2003 US Open.

    12 September 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 11 September

  1. Sabalenka advances to US Open final against Rybakina

    Aryna Sabalenka defeated Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the semi-finals to reach the US Open championship match against Elena Rybakina, who beat Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Sabalenka is bidding for a third consecutive US Open title.

    11 September 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 10 September

  1. Gauff defeats Andreeva in US Open quarter-final

    Fourth-ranked American Coco Gauff saved two match points to defeat reigning French Open champion Mirra Andreeva 2–6, 7–6 (9/7), 6–2 in a US Open quarter-final on Wednesday, advancing to face Kazakh star Elena Rybakina in Thursday's semi-finals. Rybakina will become world number one after beating Chinese qualifier Zheng Qinwen 3–6, 6–1, 6–4.

    10 September 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 8 September

  1. Zheng beats Swiatek; Zverev and Rybakina advance at US Open

    Zheng Qinwen defeated Iga Swiatek in a comeback victory to reach the US Open quarter-finals, where she will face Elena Rybakina. Men's top seed Alexander Zverev also advanced safely to the last eight.

    8 September 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 6 July

  1. British wildcard Fery defeats Dimitrov in five-set Wimbledon thriller

    Arthur Fery, a British wildcard ranked 114th, defeated Grigor Dimitrov 7–5, 3–6, 4–6, 6–4, 7–6 (10/7) in a five-set match to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Monday. Fery, 23, will face ninth seed Flavio Cobolli and aims to become only the fifth British man to reach the semi-finals in the Open era.

    6 July 2026 · The Namibian →

Sunday 5 July

  1. Philippines' Eala upsets defending champion Swiatek at Wimbledon

    Alexandra Eala of the Philippines defeated Iga Swiatek 7-6 (11/9), 6-2 in the third round of Wimbledon, ending the defending champion's title defence and marking Eala's first Grand Slam last-16 appearance. Serena Williams withdrew from the doubles tournament, while second seed Elena Rybakina also crashed out.

    5 July 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 3 June

  1. Sabalenka loses French Open quarter-final to Shnaider

    World number one Aryna Sabalenka crashed out of the French Open quarter-finals to 25th seed Diana Shnaider, losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 after collapsing mentally in the second set. Shnaider advances to face Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska in the semi-finals, while Flavio Cobolli won to set up an all-Italian men's semi-final.

    3 June 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 19 May

  1. Sabalenka seeks first Roland Garros title after recent form dip

    World number one Aryna Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, arrives in Paris for Roland Garros aiming to win the tournament after finishing as runner-up last year to Coco Gauff. Her dominance has shown signs of weakness following recent losses, including a quarter-final exit at Madrid to 30th seed Hailey Baptiste during the European clay swing.

    19 May 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 30 March

  1. Sabalenka wins Miami Open, completes Indian Wells double

    World number one Aryna Sabalenka defeated Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 to successfully defend her Miami Open title and complete the Sunshine Double, becoming the first player since Iga Swiatek four years ago to win the WTA 1000 titles in Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back.

    30 March 2026 · New Era →

Sunday 29 March

  1. Sabalenka wins second straight Miami Open title

    Aryna Sabalenka defeated Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 to win her second consecutive Miami Open title, completing the Indian Wells-Miami "Sunshine Double" sweep. The world number one from Belarus became the first woman since Iga Swiatek in 2022 to win both elite early season hardcourt WTA 1000 titles.

    29 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 16 March

  1. Sabalenka defeats Rybakina to win Indian Wells title

    Aryna Sabalenka saved a match point to defeat Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) in the Indian Wells final on Sunday, claiming her first title at the event after previous losses to Rybakina in four consecutive finals. The victory ended a frustrating run against Rybakina, including losses at Indian Wells in 2023 and the Australian Open in January.

    16 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Saturday 14 March

  1. Sabalenka and Rybakina set for Indian Wells final rematch

    Aryna Sabalenka defeated Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-4, and Elena Rybakina beat Elina Svitolina 7-5, 6-4, to meet in the Indian Wells title match for a rematch of their Australian Open final.

    14 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Sunday 1 February

  1. Rybakina wins Australian Open, defeats Sabalenka in final

    Elena Rybakina defeated world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the Australian Open final to claim her second Grand Slam title. The Kazakh fifth seed held her nerve in a tense match at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne to take revenge after losing the 2023 final to the same opponent.

    1 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Saturday 31 January

  1. Sabalenka faces Rybakina in Australian Open women's final

    World number one Aryna Sabalenka clashes with Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open women's final on Saturday. Both players have reached the final without dropping a set and will meet for the first time since their 2023 Australian Open final, which Sabalenka won before successfully defending the title in 2024.

    31 January 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 27 January

  1. Sinner advances, Keys ousted as Melbourne heat surges

    Jannik Sinner defeated fellow Italian Luciano Darderi to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals, while defending champion Madison Keys lost to Jessica Pegula as Melbourne faced forecast temperatures of 45C. The tournament implemented health measures including 10-minute breaks during longer matches and plans to use indoor courts as extreme heat continues.

    27 January 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 23 January

  1. Djokovic, Sinner advance at Australian Open; Wawrinka makes history

    Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner advanced to the third round of the Australian Open, with Sinner defending his two-time title and Djokovic pursuing a record 25th Grand Slam. Stan Wawrinka, at 40, became the oldest player in 45 years to reach the men's third round at a Grand Slam before retiring.

    23 January 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 21 January

  1. Sinner advances at Australian Open as Osaka makes fashion statement

    Jannik Sinner won his opening match at the Australian Open when opponent Hugo Gaston retired, while Naomi Osaka drew attention with a jellyfish-inspired outfit of white parasol, wide-brimmed hat and veil before defeating Croatia's Antonia Ruzic.

    21 January 2026 · The Namibian →

Elena Rybakina — Namibian press coverage · Namibia Minute