Rybakina overcomes Alexandrova in final to claim title at Ningbo Open

Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina staged a stirring comeback to defeat Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 on Sunday, claiming the Ningbo Open title and boosting her chances of qualifying for next month's WTA Finals.

The victory marks Rybakina's 10th career title and moves her to the cusp of reaching the season-ending tournament in Saudi Arabia. She now only needs to advance to the semifinals at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo to edge out Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva for the last spot.

Others who have already qualified for the WTA Finals in Riyadh from November 1-8 include Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, and Jasmine Paolini.

Alexandrova opened the title match in Ningbo in dominant form, quickly building a 4-1 lead while Rybakina struggled with unforced errors and inconsistency. The 30-year-old Russian then closed out the first set with a powerful forehand winner.

Determined to avoid a fourth consecutive hard-court loss to Alexandrova, Rybakina raised her level in the second set, using precise cross-court winners to dictate play as she hit back with a ruthless bagel to force a decider.

The World No. 9 maintained her momentum in the third set, breaking early with a confident move to the net, before powering through to close out the victory. The win gives the Kazakh her second title of the season and provides crucial momentum heading into the final stretch of the campaign.

Rybakina congratulated Alexandrova on her strong performance throughout the week and season, before reflecting on the challenges of a demanding campaign, and expressing gratitude to her team for their continuous support and motivation.

The 26-year-old also acknowledged the difficulty of finishing the season strong, but emphasized that her team's efforts have been essential to her success. She added that they will continue to strive for more as they head to Tokyo and beyond.