Elena Rybakina was pushed to the brink before overcoming Leylah Fernandez in a gripping quarterfinal at the Stuttgart Open. The top seed struggled for rhythm early on and showed visible frustration, but fought back from a set down, saved two match points, and sealed a three-set win. Following the match, Rybakina admitted that nothing worked for her early on, and frustration quickly set in.
Elena Rybakina Battles Frustration to Edge Past Leylah Fernandez in Stuttgart QF Thriller
Fernandez seized early control with a break to go up 3–1 and stayed composed despite Rybakina forcing a tiebreak. The Canadian showed strong resolve in the decisive moments, converting her sixth set point to edge ahead in an opening set marked by efficient serving and controlled aggression.
Fernandez struck first again in the second set to lead 4–2, but Rybakina flipped the script, surging through four consecutive games to snatch the set and force a decider. The Canadian then moved within touching distance at 4–2 in the decider and later earned a chance to close it out at 5–4, but the top seed held firm, striking cleanly to break back for 5–5.
The Canadian created another opening in the tiebreak at 6–5, only for Rybakina to respond under pressure and swing the momentum her way. From there, the top seed took control and secured a 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6 (6) win to book her place in the semifinals and bring an end to Fernandez’s impressive run.
The three-hour battle took a toll on Rybakina, who admitted afterward that little worked for her early on, leading to frustration.
“I honestly don’t know because nothing really worked. Especially in the beginning there was a lot of frustration. I was just going downhill. The serve was not going. Somehow I found fight in me and a couple points were important in the 2nd set. Somehow I started finding this momentum. It was a really difficult day. Thank you so much everyone for the support,” she said during her post-match interview.
Rybakina after saving 2 match points to beat Leylah Fernandez in Stuttgart
“How did you end up winning this match?”
Elena: “I honestly don’t know because nothing really worked. Especially in the beginning, there was a lot of frustration. I was just going downhill. The serve was… pic.twitter.com/d1ZfWdGh98
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) April 17, 2026
MORE: Elena Rybakina Shares Her Thoughts As She Braces for Tricky Leylah Fernandez Battle in Stuttgart
It is worth noting that Rybakina piled up 40 unforced errors, which only compounded her frustration. The Kazakh also let the first set slip in the tiebreak after pushing a backhand wide, even briefly venting by dropping her racket before catching it again.
Rybakina is through to the Stuttgart semifinals once again, marking her return to the last four at the event where she triumphed in 2024. Awaiting her is sixth seed Mirra Andreeva, who mounted a comeback of her own to oust Iga Świątek in three sets after dropping the opener.
