Focused Elena Rybakina sweeps into Ningbo final with WTA Finals bid alive

There was a quiet inevitability to the way Elena Rybakina went about her work on Saturday in Ningbo. No roars, no theatrics. Just that cool, deliberate rhythm that’s become her trademark.

From the first ball, you could sense that she wasn’t merely chasing another final; she was protecting something larger. Her season, her ranking, and her path to Riyadh.

Under the late-afternoon haze, the third seed from Kazakhstan delivered a performance of almost mechanical precision, sweeping past Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 6–3, 6–2 to reach the Ningbo Open final.

It was a victory that did more than book her place on Sunday. It kept her bid for the season-ending WTA Finals alive, a goal that’s driven her through an uneven year of brilliance and frustration.

“I knew the match would be very tough,” Rybakina said afterward, her tone calm but satisfied. “Jasmine has played really well this season. She’s a really tough opponent. I knew I’d need to bring my best. I’m happy I stayed focused until the end and I won it in straight sets.”

Focus. That was the word that defined the afternoon. The opening exchanges were razor-tight, with Paolini forcing three break points in the first few games.

But each time danger loomed, Rybakina responded with the same formula — a crisp first serve, a heavy forehand, and that unflappable body language that borders on serene.

By the time she finally broke for 5–3 after a 20-point tug-of-war game, the tone had been set. She sealed the first set in 51 minutes, behind 21 winners and seven aces, a statement of controlled aggression.

The second set began with a brief pause as both players held firm through the first four games before Rybakina found her moment. At 2–2, she pounced on a short return, cracking a backhand winner that ignited the decisive break. From there, it was one-way traffic.

Her tenth ace came in the final game, a punctuation mark that left Paolini staring at the court in quiet disbelief. One hour and 29 minutes after it began, the match was over.

For Rybakina, who has fought through the stop-start rhythm of illness and scheduling disruptions this year, Ningbo has arrived as a timely reminder of her top-tier pedigree.

This is her second final of the season and arguably her most significant. Not just for what it means in isolation but for what it unlocks. With one singles berth still open for the WTA Finals in Riyadh, she’s now locked in a high-stakes sprint with teenager Mirra Andreeva for the last ticket to the sport’s exclusive year-end show.

The permutations are precise and unforgiving. If Rybakina lifts the trophy in Ningbo, she’ll need only a semifinal in Tokyo to clinch her place. Lose the final, and the math gets harsher. She’d then need the Tokyo title itself to qualify.

Anything less, and Andreeva gets the nod, with Rybakina reduced to first alternate. It’s a tightrope she knows well; her calm exterior doesn’t hide the competitive urgency underneath.

Across the net, Paolini’s loss came with an unexpected silver lining.

When the Tokyo draw dropped later that day, confirming Andreeva’s absence, the WTA announced that the Italian had already secured her spot in Riyadh, joining Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula, and Madison Keys in the season-ending field.

For Rybakina, though, the job’s not finished. Her next test comes against Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova, who defeated compatriot Diana Shnaider 6–3, 6–4 in the other semifinal.

Alexandrova leads their head-to-head 3–1, including a straight-sets win in Adelaide earlier this year. But Rybakina’s serve, rhythm, and clarity of purpose make her a dangerous proposition when she finds her groove.

“I’m very excited,” Rybakina said with her understated smile. “I’ll try to bring my best in the final. Let’s see what’s going to happen.”