Asian tennis beauty makes history at the WTA Finals

She remains the only Asian tennis contender at the 2025 WTA Finals – the event that gathers the season’s best 8 players.

Elena Rybakina has marked a historic milestone for Kazakhstan tennis by becoming the first player from the country to reach the WTA Finals semifinals – the prestigious tournament that concludes the women’s tennis season.

On November 5th, Vietnam time, Rybakina completed the group stage with a perfect record of 3 wins, after defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova with a consistent 6-4 score. Alexandrova replaced Madison Keys, who had to withdraw due to severe illness. Earlier, the world No. 6 also overcame Amanda Anisimova and defeated Iga Swiatek, a strong favorite for the title – notably beating the Asian player 6-0 in the third set.

This achievement places Rybakina in the history books, as she is the first Kazakhstani player to reach the semifinals since the WTA Finals began in 1971. In the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Rybakina was eliminated in the group stage, but this year she has demonstrated impressive form, maintaining an unbeaten streak to advance to the semifinals.

"In every match, I always aim for victory. Each win boosts my confidence, so I am very satisfied with my current form. The recent matches have been great and I hope to continue this momentum.", Rybakina said after her win against Alexandrova.

Before the match in Riyadh, Alexandrova led 3-2 in their head-to-head encounters, but Rybakina has now evened the score. "Ekaterina is a very tough opponent; she serves powerfully and unpredictably, so I am glad to have won in straight sets.", the 2022 Wimbledon champion added.

In the semifinals, Rybakina will compete against Jessica Pegula. The Kazakh player is currently trailing 2-3 in their meetings, but she did defeat the American in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers earlier this year – a victory that has boosted her confidence ahead of tonight’s important match on November 7th, Vietnam time.

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