Elena Rybakina is into the grand finale of this year’s WTA Finals, having engineered yet another dramatic comeback to beat Jessica Pegula.
It was an enthralling affair between two of the world’s top players, pitting explosive power against unrelenting work rate.
In the end, it was the former who came out on top, rallying from a set down to secure her spot in tomorrow’s showpiece final.
There, she will compete for the opportunity to secure an elite trophy that she has never won before. Not only that, but if she is to beat her opponent, the Kazakhstani will bank just over $5m for going unbeaten at the tournament.
Elena Rybakina reacts to reaching the grand finale of the WTA Finals
Speaking on court, she began by delivering her thoughts on the result, admitting: “It was such a tough battle.
“It’s always very difficult to play against Jessica. She started pretty well and I was a bit slow. It was very quick. She broke me, so it was not easy to come back, but I’m glad I managed to find my way in the second set and went on to win in three sets.”
Elena Rybakina, then asked about yet another outstanding serving performance including 15 aces, added: “Definitely the serve when I needed it helped me. I was trying to stay focused each point. We had some very tough rallies and I’m really happy in the end I managed to push myself a bit more and won it.”
She concluded by thanking the crowd: “Thank you so much, the atmosphere is amazing. Thanks so much for coming, it’s really important and gives energy. I hope to see you tomorrow. Thanks so much.”
Rybakina admitted she was tired in a fitness update before her semi-final match vs Jessica Pegula, but she showed no signs of fatigue as she outlasted yet another opponent in this elite tournament.
Elena Rybakina’s remarkable end to 2025
Rybakina is notoriously a tough player to predict.
At her best, she is unplayable.
However, despite boasting the requisite skillset to be a dominant force on the WTA Tour, she seldom puts together the necessary consistency to challenge like Aryna Sabalenka does, on all fronts, week after week.
Her end to 2025 has seen a glimpse of what life could be like if Rybakina found that consistency though, having reached five semi-finals since Wimbledon, two of which were Masters 1000 events, and another being the title she claimed in Ningbo.
Now into the final of the WTA Finals, this marks a scintillating end to the season for the 26-year-old and will hopefully lay the foundations for an even more impressive 2026.
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