Rybakina’s fierce comeback claims Ningbo crown
Trailing early on Ningbo’s hard courts, Elena Rybakina ignited a stunning reversal, overwhelming Ekaterina Alexandrova to lift the title and sharpen her edge for the WTA Finals.
In the balmy October glow of Ningbo, China, where hard courts hummed under the late sun, Elena Rybakina dug deep against a relentless foe. The third seed, down a set and clinging to a 1-4 deficit in the opener, transformed frustration into firepower, storming to a 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 victory over the fourth-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova in the final. Her 11 aces cracked like thunder, pinning the Russian deep and reshaping the match’s tempo from the baseline.
Opening set exposes mounting pressure
Rybakina’s sluggish start revealed the season’s toll, with Alexandrova’s aggressive inside-out forehands exploiting tentative positioning and forcing hurried slices. The Kazakhstani, her flat groundstrokes skidding short on the medium-paced surface, absorbed a barrage of one–two combinations that built the Russian’s early momentum. As the crowd’s murmurs thickened the humid air, she steadied her returns, sensing an opening amid the opponent’s bold down-the-line backhands.
This unraveling echoed broader challenges, where injuries had dulled her serve’s bite since Strasbourg’s clay-court win; here, the chase for Riyadh’s year-end stage amplified every loose error. Yet Rybakina channeled the deficit’s weight, her footwork quickening to counter the low bounces and reclaim baseline control.
Second set unleashes serving storm
By the second frame, Rybakina flipped the dynamic, her delivery evolving into a dominant force that delivered 11 aces and set up inside-in forehands to wrong-foot Alexandrova. The bagel set showcased tactical shifts—deeper returns and consistent crosscourt depth—that eroded the Russian’s confidence, turning rallies into one-sided pursuits. Spectators leaned in as the atmosphere crackled, the Kazakhstani’s predatory coverage now dictating the hard court’s predictable grip.
Underspin slices disrupted patterns, varying the tempo and preventing the flat drives that had fueled the opener’s chaos. This surge wasn’t mere recovery; it marked a mental reset, shedding doubts and propelling her into the decider with unyielding poise.
Decider seals late-season surge
Carrying that intensity forward, Rybakina closed out the third set 6-2, layering inside-out angles to pull Alexandrova wide and open crosscourt winners. The Russian, fatigued from the push, faltered on redirects off the consistent rebound, her error tally rising as the Kazakhstani’s composure held firm. This triumph, her second of 2025 and 10th overall, echoed under floodlights as the Ningbo roar swelled, a testament to resilience amid a grueling schedule.
With crucial points banked against a top-20 rival, Rybakina eyes November’s Riyadh showdown as a rising contender, her honed serve and adaptive ground game poised to thrive on faster indoors, where such comebacks could define her year-end legacy.