AAP Tennis

Rybakina brushes aside Fernandez to retain Ningbo crown

By AAP Newswire

Oct 25, 2026

World No.1 Elena Rybakina. — World No.1 Elena Rybakina has successfully defended her Ningbo Open title. -AP

Elena Rybakina has beaten unseeded Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-2 6-2 in the Ningbo ‌Open final to retain her title and lift ‌her first trophy as world No.1 ahead of ‌the WTA Finals next month.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

The victory also helped the Kazakh to take a major step towards securing the year-end number one ranking, further burnishing a spectacular season in which ‌she won ‌the ⁠Australian Open title before adding the US Open crown to reach the summit.

Top seed Rybakina made the breakthrough with her trademark power in the fifth game, then unleashed a searing crosscourt backhand winner to go ⁠4-2 up before wrapping up the opening set in just 38 minutes.

World No.30 Fernandez made ‌a bright start to the next set but Rybakina absorbed the pressure and raised her level to force an error and break for 2-1, with the three-time grand slam champion breezing to victory from there.

Rybakina's ‌latest triumph is a timely lift after setbacks in Beijing and Wuhan, as she turns her attention to the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo this week before launching her title defence at the season finale in Indian Wells from ⁠November 8.

The 27-year-old moved past Aryna Sabalenka into the top spot after the US Open but was then stunned by 118th-ranked Alina Charaeva in her opening match at the China Open in Beijing.

Rybakina improved to 8-0 in her career at the Ningbo Open after beating Ekaterina Alexandrova in last season's final.