Elena Rybakina has won the Ningbo Open and, in the process, kept alive her hopes of reaching the WTA Finals in Riyadh.
Rybakina came from a set down to beat Ekaterina Alexandrova in three sets, producing some stunning tennis after the first set was dropped.
The Kazakhstani performer is now in control of her own destiny when it comes to reaching the WTA Finals, with Mirra Andreeva sweating on her place.
Andreeva left the court in tears in Ningbo, and now the teenager is waiting to discover whether she will slip out of the top eight with Rybakina in contention to make the WTA Finals.
Alexandrova praised Rybakina before the final, and now, the winner of the Ningbo Open has returned the favour after lifting the trophy.
Elena Rybakina sends message to Ekaterina Alexandrova after Ningbo Open final
The 26-year-old managed to win Wimbledon in 2022 and it’s perhaps surprising that she’s not been able to win another Grand Slam title.
She has now won two titles in 2025, however, and after this latest victory, she had a congratulatory message for Alexandrova as she played her part in a brilliant final.
She said: “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 next season.”
“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.”
What Alexandrova said to Rybakina after losing to her
Alexandrova has won five career titles, and she will have to wait to make it half a dozen trophies in her career.
Still, the beauty of modern-day tennis is that the players normally have the utmost respect for each other and this final has proved to be no different.
Before Rybakina delivered a winner’s speech, Alexandrova said: “I want to congratulate Elena for an amazing week and the amazing game she played today. Of course, her team on the great win and wish her luck for the end of the season and for the next year. Of course, I want to say thank you to my team who were with me this week. Without them, it would be really difficult at the end of the season. Thank you so much, guys.”
Alexandrova is currently sitting in tenth place in the world rankings and after a positive campaign, she will be hoping to finish with a flourish and try to improve on her Grand Slam performances when next year starts.
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