Rybakina rallies to claim Ningbo Open; Medvedev ends title drought
- Last updated: October 20, 2025 | 10:16
Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina stormed back from a set down to capture the 10th title of her career with a 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 victory over Ekaterina Alexandrova in the Ningbo Open final in China on Sunday.
Rybakina fired 39 winners, including 11 aces, and won 88 percent of her first-serve points against Russia’s Alexandrova to clinch her second trophy of the season.
The world number nine from Kazakhstan strengthened her chances of securing a WTA Finals qualification spot.
But she will need to reach the semi-finals at next week’s Pan-Pacific Open in Tokyo to move past Russia’s Mirra Andreeva in the race for a place in Riyadh next month.
“I would like to congratulate Ekaterina for the great week and the great season so far and wish her good luck in the next season,” said Rybakina after accepting the trophy.
“Thank you so much to my team who are always pushing me to be better, especially at the end of the season, it’s not easy.
“But without you I will not be here. Hopefully we can push a little more next week.”
Rybakina responded to dropping the opening set by winning nine games in a row, as she levelled the match and surged to a 3-0 advantage in the decider.
She was nearly unplayable in the second and third sets and sealed the victory in just under two hours.
“I want to congratulate Elena on the amazing week and the amazing game that she played today,” said Alexandrova, who at the age of 30 was making her top-10 debut this week.
“I wish her luck until the end of the season and for the next year.”
Medvedev shines: Daniil Medvedev won his first title in two years on Sunday, defeating Frenchman Corentin Moutet 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 in the final of the ATP 250 tournament in Almaty.
Since winning in Rome in May 2023, Medvedev, ranked 14 in the world, has lost six finals including the US Open the same year, and the Australian Open the following January.
This year he lost in the second round in Melbourne before going out in the first round at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows.
After the US Open, Medvedev started working with new coaches Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke and responded by reaching the semi-finals in Beijing and Shanghai.
The 21st victory of his career also boosts his hopes of reaching the year-ending ATP Finals, moving him up three spots to 12th, just 875 points behind Lorenzo Musetti who is in the eighth and final place.
“It is great. I was not super happy with how I played in some moments of the match, but to win feels amazing,” said Medvedev.
“In the most important points I played good.”
The Russian will compete in the ATP 500 in Vienna next week in an attempt to continue his climb up the rankings.
After two evenly matched sets, Medvedev took the upper hand in the decider.
Close to breaking at 2-1, with Moutet saving four break points, the former world No.1 managed to break the Frenchman’s serve at 4-3 before closing out the match on his serve.
Agencies