Elena Rybakina and Qinwen Zheng left it all out on the court in Qatar.
It was the 2024 Olympic gold medalist who delivered the first blow, taking the first set 6-4.
Rybakina soon fought back, though, taking the second, 6-2 to force a decider.
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The Kazakh looked to have the match won and served for a place in the quarterfinals, before Zheng found another gear, extending her stay in Doha.
Eventually, the 2026 Australian Open champion secured the win, 6-4, 2-6, 7-5, setting up a quarterfinal tie with Canada’s Victoria Mbkoko.
During her post-match interview, Rybakina gave her verdict on Zheng and Mboko.
Elena Rybakina says Qinwen Zheng played ‘really well’ and is happy to see her back
“She played really well and in some moments incredible shots,” said Rybakina about Zheng.
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“The serve also, it’s nice to see her back.
Elena Rybakina vs Qinwen Zheng – Match stats
| Stats | Elena Rybakina | Qinwen Zheng |
| Aces | 6 | 9 |
| Double faults | 1 | 6 |
| 1st Serve % | 67% | 62% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 70% | 70% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 52% | 55% |
| Break points | 4/10 | 2/5 |
“I’m super happy I managed to win. I was leading in the third set and couldn’t take my opportunities, but happy in the end it went my way.”
Both players deserved credit for their performances, but it was Rybakina who advanced.
She’ll now prepare to take on Mboko, a player she’s met three times on the WTA Tour.
“I definitely will try to recover from today’s match, it was a really tough one,” said Rybakina.
“Victoria [Mboko] is a great player. We played a couple of times already last year.
Elena Rybakina and Victoria Mboko’s head-to-head record
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2025 Tokyo – QF | Elena Rybakina | Victoria Mboko | 6-3, 7-6 |
| 2025 Montreal – SF | Victoria Mboko | Elena Rybakina | 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 |
| 2025 Washington – R16 | Elena Rybakina | Victoria Mboko | 6-3, 7-5 |
“She has been playing really well.
“She is young with good shots and a great serve, so I will try to recover and do my best, and we will see what is going to happen.”
Melanie South’s verdict on Elena Rybakina vs Qinwen Zheng
On commentary for Sky Sports, former British tennis star Melanie South only had good words to say about Rybakina and Zheng’s Doha clash.
“Simply incredible match between two players who have so much respect for one another,” she said.
“You could see the eye contact, the well-played from [Elena] Rybakina to [Qinwen] Zheng
“What a comeback she has had from that elbow surgery, second tournament back.
“But looking back to her best, Rybakina was so impressive, coming here as the Australian Open champion, the quick turnaround, but she has just brought it each and every match, was under pressure, had disappointments, shook them off and kept on aiming for the win, and got the reward in the end.”
Looking to pick up a 10th consecutive win, Rybakina will play Mboko in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Qatar Open on Thursday, February 12.
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