Rybakina rallies to milestone victory in Ningbo
Trailing early against Ekaterina Alexandrova’s blistering power, Elena Rybakina ignited a nine-game streak to secure her 10th WTA title, sharpening her bid for a WTA Finals spot amid the late-season grind.
The humid evening in Ningbo thickened the air as Elena Rybakina absorbed a bruising first set, her strokes tested by Ekaterina Alexandrova’s flat, penetrating groundstrokes that echoed off the hard courts. The former Wimbledon champion, eyes narrowed against the floodlights, reset her focus, transforming early frustration into a cascade of precision that overwhelmed her opponent. In under two hours, she claimed the 2025 AUX · Ningbo Open with a 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 triumph, her second WTA 500 title of the season and third straight final win etching a resilient mark on a campaign shadowed by injuries.
First set exposes power imbalances
Alexandrova struck first with aggressive inside-out forehands, pinning Rybakina behind the baseline in prolonged crosscourt rallies that sapped her rhythm on the medium-paced hard courts. The Russian’s serve, heavy with pace, forced defensive underspin backhands, but subtle cracks emerged as unforced errors dotted her game, hinting at the pressure of sustaining that early fire. Rybakina, drawing on her mental fortitude, began threading sharper returns to disrupt the pattern, her footwork quickening to counter the onslaught and lay the groundwork for the shift ahead.
“Thank you so much to my team for always pushing me to be better,” Rybakina said during the trophy presentation. “Especially at the end of the season, it’s not easy, but without you I would not be here. So, thanks again, and hopefully we can push a little more next week.”
Second-set dominance reshapes the match
Once the second set unfolded, Rybakina’s serve evolved into a dominant force, delivering deep kicks that set up lethal 1–2 combinations and left Alexandrova lunging for hurried defenses. She alternated crosscourt depth with daring down-the-line forehands, exploiting the court’s true bounce to stretch her rival’s movement and force errors in the extended exchanges. The crowd’s rising cheers fueled this surge, as nine straight games flowed seamlessly, blanking the second set and carrying momentum into the decider where a 6-2 close affirmed her command.
This turnaround highlighted Rybakina’s tactical adaptability, turning the hard-court surface—slick yet forgiving under the lights—into an ally for her clean striking, while Alexandrova’s power faded against the unrelenting tempo. The psychological edge sharpened with each point, reflecting a season of rebuilding where every victory layered confidence against lingering doubts. As the net cord hummed with her final winner, the atmosphere pulsed with the energy of a comeback forged in quiet determination.
Tokyo semifinals key to finals dream
With this milestone 10th career title secured, Rybakina inches toward the WTA Finals in Riyadh, her Ningbo points bolstering a late push on surfaces that echo the year-end event’s demands. Heading to Tokyo, she needs at least a semifinal run to surpass Mirra Andreeva for the final qualifying spot; anything less positions her as the first alternate in a race defined by narrow margins. The Ningbo triumph, amid the expat murmurs and local applause, lifts the season’s weight just enough, priming her for the hard-court battles that could crown a gritty resurgence.
