Elena Rybakina won her second title of 2025 on Sunday, defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova in the Ningbo Open final. The Kazakh player fought back after dropping the first set to win 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 in China.
Elena Rybakina Mounts Impressive Comeback Against Ekaterina Alexandrova at Ningbo Open Final
The final between third seed Rybakina and fourth seed Alexandrova turned into a dramatic contest at the Yinzhou Tennis Center. Alexandrova came out firing and raced to a 4-1 lead in the opening set. Rybakina looked off her game early and couldn’t get going as the Russian closed out the first set 6-3.
Everything changed in the second set as Rybakina stepped up her game and Alexandrova had absolutely no answers. The Kazakh rolled through the set without losing a game, winning it 6-0. She kept that form going into the final set, breaking early to go up 3-0.
Alexandrova managed to get two games on the board to avoid a double bagel. But it wasn’t enough as Rybakina’s big serve and solid groundstrokes were just too good. She hit 11 aces while committing just three double fault in the match and wrapped it up 6-2 in the third set.
Rybakina spoke to the crowd after winning the trophy, saying, “Thank you to my team for always pushing me to be better. Especially the end of the season isn’t easy but without you I wouldn’t be here. Thanks again. Hopefully we can push a little more next week.”
Elena Rybakina after beating Alexandrova to win her 10th title in Ningbo
“I want to congratulate Ekaterina for a great week and great season. I wish you good luck in the next season… It hasn’t been an easy year for all of us… Difficult schedule. I wish you all the best for the… pic.twitter.com/OFuIgpk0ZD
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 19, 2025
She praised her opponent as well, stating, “I want to congratulate Ekaterina for a great week and great season. I wish you good luck in the next season.”
Rybakina also talked about how tough the tour has been for everyone, saying:
“It hasn’t been an easy year for all of us… Difficult schedule. I wish you all the best for the next season.”
How Did Rybakina Perform at the Ningbo Open?
Rybakina put together a great week in Ningbo beating Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3 in a grinding three-setter. She secured her spot in the semifinals by crushing Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic 6-2, 6-0 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, she beat second seed Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-2, setting up the final clash against Alexandrova.
This win is Rybakina’s 10th career title and her second this year. She won her first title of 2025 in Strasbourg back in May on clay, beating Liudmila Samsonova in that final. The Ningbo title is also her fifth at the WTA 500 level.
The 26-year-old is set to jump from ninth to seventh in the world rankings after this win, but the bigger prize is still ahead. This victory keeps her WTA Finals hopes alive. She needs to make the semifinals in Tokyo next week to grab the last spot over Mirra Andreeva.
