Elena Rybakina delivered a splendid win at the AUX Ningbo Open, overcoming a brave Ekaterina Alexandrova 3–6, 6–2, 6–0 to claim her second title of 2025 and the 10th of her career. The victory also reignited her push toward WTA Finals qualification, with the Kazakh star now closing in on a third straight appearance at the season-ending event.
Alexandrova Claims First Set With Early Break
Ekaterina Alexandrova raced out of the gate, breaking Elena Rybakina early for a 2–0 lead after converting her very first break point. Confident behind her serve, she backed it up with a hold from deuce and looked firmly in command.
Rybakina steadied midway through the set, finding her rhythm on serve and cruising through her next three service games without facing a break point. But whenever a glimmer of momentum appeared, Alexandrova shut the door—most notably at 3–1 up, when she saved two break points in a tense, back-and-forth game before holding again.
That gritty stand proved decisive. With Rybakina unable to make inroads on return, Alexandrova served out the opener at 5–3, creating two set points and sealing it nicely in the corner with a forehand winner on the second.
By the numbers:
- Breaks: Alexandrova 1/1; Rybakina 0/0
- Break points saved: Alexandrova 2/2 (both in Game 6)
- Hold quality: Alexandrova composed throughout, mixing routine holds with timely clutch play
Alexandrova vs Rybakina – Set One Stats
| Statistic | Alexandrova | Rybakina |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 0.93 | 1.08 |
| Serve Rating | 294 | 265 |
| Aces | 1 | 3 |
| Double Faults | 1 | 1 |
| 1st Serve % | 63% (24/38) | 55% (12/22) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 67% (16/24) | 83% (10/12) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 64% (9/14) | 50% (5/10) |
| Break Points Saved | 100% (2/2) | 0% (0/1) |
| Service Games | 100% (5/5) | 75% (3/4) |
| Ace % | 2.6% | 13.6% |
| Double Fault % | 2.6% | 4.5% |
| Return Rating | 192 | 69 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 17% (2/12) | 33% (8/24) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 50% (5/10) | 36% (5/14) |
| Break Points Won | 100% (1/1) | 0% (0/2) |
| Return Games | 25% (1/4) | 0% (0/5) |
| Pressure Points | 100% (3/3) | 0% (0/3) |
| Service Points | 66% (25/38) | 68% (15/22) |
| Return Points | 32% (7/22) | 34% (13/38) |
| Total Points | 53% (32/60) | 47% (28/60) |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max Points In A Row | 4 | 4 |
| Max Games In A Row | 3 | 1 |
| Injury Timeouts | 0 | 0 |
| Total Games | 67% (6/9) | 33% (3/9) |
| Set 1 Duration | 0:41 | |
Rybakina Blitzes Set 2
Elena Rybakina raced through the second set in dominant fashion, blanking Ekaterina Alexandrova 6–0. Serving first, Rybakina looked untouchable—never facing a break point and holding with ease, closing out her service games at 40–30, 40–15, and 40–15. Her clean serving rhythm gave her the freedom to attack on return, and she took full advantage.
The Kazakh broke Alexandrova’s serve three straight times. The second game turned into a battle, with Alexandrova saving two break points before Rybakina finally converted her third. From there, the momentum was all one way: Rybakina struck again on her first chance in Game 4 and wrapped up the set with another break, converting her second set point after Alexandrova had briefly fended off the first.
The version of Elena Rybakina who faced Jasmine Paolini a day earlier had returned…
Alexandrova vs Rybakina – Set 2 Stats
| Statistic | Alexandrova | Rybakina |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 0.40 | 2.50 |
| Serve Rating | 132 | 302 |
| Aces | 0 | 3 |
| Double Faults | 0 | 0 |
| 1st Serve % | 63% (15/24) | 56% (9/16) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 47% (7/15) | 100% (9/9) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 22% (2/9) | 43% (3/7) |
| Break Points Saved | 50% (3/6) | 0% (0/0) |
| Service Games | 0% (0/3) | 100% (3/3) |
| Ace % | 0% | 18.8% |
| Double Fault % | 0% | 0% |
| Return Rating | 57 | 281 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 0% (0/9) | 53% (8/15) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 57% (4/7) | 78% (7/9) |
| Break Points Won | 0% (0/0) | 50% (3/6) |
| Return Games | 0% (0/3) | 100% (3/3) |
| Pressure Points | 50% (3/6) | 50% (3/6) |
| Service Points | 38% (9/24) | 75% (12/16) |
| Return Points | 25% (4/16) | 63% (15/24) |
| Total Points | 33% (13/40) | 68% (27/40) |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max Points In A Row | 2 | 5 |
| Max Games In A Row | 0 | 6 |
| Total Games | 0% (0/6) | 100% (6/6) |
| Set 2 Duration | 0h33 | |
Rybakina Powers Through the Decider
Elena Rybakina opened the final set with confidence, holding easily to 40–15. She then broke Ekaterina Alexandrova in a long, gritty second game featuring some must-see points here on YouTube, converting her first break point after several deuces. That early strike set the tone. She then steadied with a composed hold to 3–0, fending off a break point at 40–Ad to keep full control.
Alexandrova found rhythm briefly, holding to 40–15 for 1–3 and again to 40–30 for 2–4, but Rybakina’s serve-return balance kept her in front. Every time Alexandrova threatened, Rybakina answered with depth and precision off both wings.
At 5–2, Rybakina stared down another break point yet again, saving it with a bold first serve before holding firm. She then closed the match with a final surge—breaking Alexandrova on her first match point to wrap up the set and match 3-6, 6-0, 6-2.
Alexandrova vs Rybakina – Set Three Stats
| Statistic | Alexandrova | Rybakina |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 0.66 | 1.51 |
| Serve Rating | 221 | 288 |
| Aces | 1 | 5 |
| Double Faults | 0 | 2 |
| 1st Serve % | 76% (25/33) | 68% (19/28) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 56% (14/25) | 84% (16/19) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 38% (3/8) | 33% (3/9) |
| Break Points Saved | 0% (0/2) | 100% (2/2) |
| Service Games | 50% (2/4) | 100% (4/4) |
| Ace % | 3% | 17.9% |
| Double Fault % | 0% | 7.1% |
| Return Rating | 83 | 257 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 16% (3/19) | 44% (11/25) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 67% (6/9) | 63% (5/8) |
| Break Points Won | 0% (0/2) | 100% (2/2) |
| Return Games | 0% (0/4) | 50% (2/4) |
| Pressure Points | 0% (0/4) | 100% (4/4) |
| Service Points | 52% (17/33) | 68% (19/28) |
| Return Points | 32% (9/28) | 48% (16/33) |
| Total Points | 43% (26/61) | 57% (35/61) |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max Points In A Row | 6 | 6 |
| Max Games In A Row | 1 | 3 |
| Injury Timeouts | 0 | 0 |
| Total Games | 25% (2/8) | 75% (6/8) |
| Set 3 Duration | 0h45m | |
Breakthrough Joy for Rybakina in Ningbo
This was a breakthrough win for Elena Rybakina, marking her first career title on Chinese soil after two prior runner-up finishes in the region. Her march to the Ningbo crown included composed victories over Dayana Yastremska, Ajla Tomljanović, and Jasmine Paolini, each showing a steady rise in form and confidence.
Ekaterina Alexandrova, for her part, pieced together an excellent week — dismissing Yue Yuan, McCartney Kessler, and Diana Shnaider, all in straight sets, to reach the final. Some of the points she produced in this championship match were breathtaking, her ball striking razor-sharp and consistent. Yet the scoreline of sets two and three belied how close the level really was. Alexandrova wasn’t undone by errors or tactics — she simply ran into one of the most complete versions of Rybakina we’ve seen.
For more WTA match reports, visit our Match Reports section.
What’s next for Elena Rybakina?
With this title, Rybakina now stands just one deep run away from locking her WTA Finals berth. A semifinal showing in Tokyo’s Pan Pacific Open would seal the deal, potentially at the expense of teenager Mirra Andreeva, who is skipping the event. Rybakina’s next opponent will be the winner between Leylah Fernandez and Maria Sakkari — a matchup that promises more high-quality shotmaking in her quest for another big-stage finish.