Elena Rybakina defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova on Wednesday, completing a clean sweep of her round robin group at the 2025 WTA Finals.
Rybakina continued her excellent conclusion to the 2025 season on Thursday, beating the world number 10 6-4, 6-4.
Rybakina was very close to missing out on a WTA Finals spot. However, she produced a marvellous run prior to the Finals, winning the Ningbo Open and eventually qualifying ahead of Mirra Andreeva.
Excluding her walkover ‘loss’ at the Japan Open, the Kazakhstani player has now won her last nine matches on the WTA Tour.
Rybakina will hope to carry her good form into the semi-finals, where she will face one of Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, or Coco Gauff.
Elena Rybakina has WTA Finals history on her side
Elena Rybakina has produced some scintillating form in Saudi Arabia, defeating Iga Swiatek, Amanda Anisimova and Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Rybakina came into the competition as the eighth seed, and even though she was in good form prior to the tournament, few could have expected her to dominate in Riyadh – as she has done so far.
Moreover, recent history also suggests that Rybakina will advance to the final in Riyadh.
As per OptaAce, since 2003, five of the previous six players seeded six to eight at the WTA Finals, who have won all three of their round robin matches, went on to at least reach the final.
Maria Sharapova was the finalist in 2007 while seeded sixth. Two players achieved the feat in 2008: Venus Williams won the tournament while seeded seventh, and Vera Zvonareva reached the final while seeded eighth.
Elina Svitolina achieved the feat twice: in 2018 and 2019. Svitolina won the tournament in 2018 while seeded sixth and she lost in the 2019 final while seeded eighth.
Since 2003, Caroline Wozniacki is the only exception. Wozniacki, seeded eighth, won all three of her group stage matches in 2014, before losing to Serena Williams in the semi-final: 6-2, 3-6, 6-7.
Elena Rybakina’s record against her potential semi-final opponents
Rybakina, who may well be ready to challenge for the sport’s biggest prizes once again, has a losing record against her prospective semi-final opponents in Riyadh.
Against Sabalenka, she trails 5-8, last beating the Belarusian at this year’s Washington Open.
Coco Gauff won her only previous match against Rybakina, beating the 2022 Wimbledon champion 6-4, 6-7, 7-6 at the 2022 Canadian Open.
Pegula leads Rybakina 3-1. Their last match was contested at the 2023 WTA Finals, a match Pegula won 7-5, 6-2.
