Elena Rybakina retains Ningbo title, wins first trophy as world number one
World number one secures victory over Leylah Fernandez ahead of WTA Finals
Quick Look
- Elena Rybakina defeated Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 6-2 to win the Ningbo Open.
- The victory marks her first trophy as world number one and strengthens her position for the year-end ranking ahead of the WTA Finals.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Elena Rybakina is the current world number one and a three-time Grand Slam champion. She previously won the Australian Open and US Open titles.
Elena Rybakina blazed past unseeded Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-2 6-2 in the Ningbo Open final to retain her title and lift her first trophy as the world number one ahead of the WTA Finals next month.
The victory on Sunday also helped the Kazakh take a big step towards securing the year-end number one ranking, further burnishing a spectacular season in which she won the Australian Open title before adding the US Open crown to reach the summit.
Top seed Rybakina made the breakthrough with her trademark power in the fifth game and then unleashed a searing crosscourt backhand winner to go 4-2 up, before the 27-year-old wrapped up the opening set in only 38 minutes.
World number 30 Fernandez made a bright start to the next set but Rybakina absorbed the pressure and raised her level to force an error and break for 2-1, with the three-time Grand Slam champion breezing to victory from there.
Rybakina’s latest triumph is a timely lift after setbacks in Beijing and Wuhan, as she turns her attention to the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo this week before launching her title defence at the season finale in Indian Wells from November 8.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Rybakina will compete in the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.
Very likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- Will Rybakina maintain her ranking through the WTA Finals?
