Kazakhstan tennis player achieves unprecedented feat, marking the first time in over 50 years of WTA Finals history
She has just achieved an unprecedented feat with a remarkable victory, securing her place in tennis history. A special day in the career of the world’s top-6 player.
Elena Rybakina makes history for Kazakhstan tennis
Elena Rybakina marked a historic moment for Kazakhstan tennis by reaching the semifinals of the 2025 WTA Finals, becoming the first Kazakh player to appear in the top 4 of this prestigious season-ending event.
In the match held on Wednesday evening, Rybakina completed the round-robin stage with a perfect record of three wins, defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-4. Alexandrova was a substitute for Madison Keys, who had to withdraw due to health issues. Previously, in the round-robin matches, Rybakina had defeated Amanda Anisimova and made a major statement by beating world No. 1 Iga Swiatek.
Elena Rybakina marked a historic moment for Kazakhstan tennis by reaching the semifinals of the 2025 WTA Finals, becoming the first Kazakh player to appear in the top 4 of this prestigious season-ending event.
This achievement means that for the first time since the WTA Finals began in 1971, a player from Kazakhstan has reached the semifinals of the tournament. It is also a well-earned reward after several seasons where Rybakina qualified for the WTA Finals but could not advance far. In both 2023 and 2024, she was eliminated in the round-robin stage. However, this year, the world No. 6 displayed great determination and secured the top spot in the "Serena Williams" group.
"In every match, I aim to win. Each victory builds my confidence, so I’m very happy with my current form. My recent matches have been strong, and I hope to keep up this momentum," Rybakina said after her win over Alexandrova.
Before the Riyadh match, Alexandrova led their head-to-head 3-2. However, with this victory, Rybakina has leveled their rivalry. Regarding her opponent, the 2022 Wimbledon champion said: "Ekaterina is always a challenging opponent. She has a very powerful serve, and especially early in the match, returning it is quite difficult. That’s why I’m very pleased to have finished the match in straight sets."
In the WTA Finals semifinals, Rybakina will face Jessica Pegula. Pegula currently leads their head-to-head 3-2. Nevertheless, Rybakina won their latest encounter at this year’s Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers, which might give the Kazakh player some confidence ahead of this evenly matched rematch.
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