A former junior world No. 3, Rybakina initially represented Russia before switching federations to Kazakhstan in 2018. She had a breakout year in 2020 when she played in five finals, the most of any player that year, and reached her first major quarterfinal in both singles and doubles at the 2021 French Open. Rybakina won her first major title at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships and finished runner-up at the 2023 Australian Open, which saw her debut in the top 10 in the singles rankings. In 2025, she won the WTA Finals, followed by Australian Open and US Open titles in 2026, which saw her achieve the No. 1 ranking for the first time.
Rybakina is noted for her excellent serve and ability to generate high-powered groundstrokes, and plays primarily from the baseline. She is known for her calm demeanour on court, and is sometimes referred to by the nickname "Ice Queen".