Rybakina secures year-end No. 1 ranking at Pan Pacific Open as Osaka eliminated

TOKYO (AP) — Top-ranked Elena Rybakina secured the year-end No. 1 ranking with a last-16 win at the Pan Pacific Open on Thursday, while Naomi Osaka lost in front of her home crowd.Rybakina beat Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals and will stay the world No. 1 at the conclusion of a year in which she won two Grand Slams — the Australian Open and the U.S. Open.Having won Wimbledon in 2022, Rybakina — a 27-year-old born in Russia but representing Kazakhstan — is only a French Open title away from completing the career Grand Slam.She described her year-end status as “an incredibly special moment for me.”“I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved this season and the consistency I’ve shown throughout the year,” said Rybakina, who also won titles in Stuttgart and Ningbo and rose to No. 1 in the world for the first time by winning the U.S. Open.Rybakina will be honored with a trophy to mark the achievement during a special presentation at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells from