Rybakina Scrambles for Riyadh as Fernandez Falls in Tokyo, Stoking Final-Courts Hopes
23 October 2025
Match Recap
Elina Rybakina closed the gap in the Tokyo 500 race for the year-end WTA Finals in Riyadh by defeating Leyla Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 in the second round on Thursday, a result that came easier than expected.
Rybakina, coming off the Ningbo title, dominated Fernandez, the Osaka 2022 champion, and moved to within one win of qualification for the Riyadh finals for the third straight year. The Kazakh needed 1 hour and 28 minutes to conquer Fernandez, extending her win streak to five matches; a sharp contrast to a three-set battle Fernandez won last time in Washington in July.
Rybakina never trailed, dropping serve only once and leveling their head-to-head at 2-2, as she tightened the chase for a place at the year-end event.
The decider opponent: Victoria Mboko
Mboko stands between the Tokyo champion and the last Riyadh berth, and this meeting offers Rybakina another chance to overturn a recent result; Mboko had beaten Rybakina in a Montreal semifinal last August on her way to the 1,000-point event title.
Post-match remarks
Rybakina said after the match, per the WTA: "It was a very tough match today against Leyla, she is never easy to play, especially since it's my first time here. I'm happy with the win and look forward to my next matches."
She added about the seasonal grind: "I feel tired, of course, but I'm ready to push one last time. I'm glad with last week, and I'll bring everything from there here."
Season milestone
The win over Fernandez marked Rybakina's 50th tour‑level victory this season, making her the fourth player to reach that mark after Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Jessica Pegula, all already qualified for Riyadh.
Upcoming and history
The WTA Finals in Riyadh runs from November 1-8, in its 54th edition for singles and 49th for doubles. Seven players have qualified so far: Arina Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, and Jasmine Paolini. The event marks the tournament’s return to Asia after last year’s edition in Riyadh and prior stops in Shenzhen (2019) and elsewhere.
In other second-round action, Belinda Bencic defeated Varvara Gracheva 6-4, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals, where she would meet Karolina Muchova. Ekaterina Alexandrova, the third seed, cruised past Jacqueline Cristian 6-1, 6-2 and earned a date with Sofia Kenin in the quarterfinals after Kenin edged Sonoko Wakana 3-6, 6-1, 7-6. In Basel, Denis Shapovalov advanced to the quarterfinals with a 7-6, 6-2 win over Valentin Royer, while Felix Auger-Aliassime battled through two tight sets to set up a clash with Jiri Lehecka. In Vienna, Matteo Berrettini moved into the quarterfinals after a 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 victory over Cam Nori, with a looming clash against Alex de Minaur.
Notes
Two more headline matches and a string of results across the tour set up a week of tense finishes ahead of Riyadh, where fans expect a high-octane sprint to the season finale.
Punchlines
Punchline 1: If tennis really is a playground, Rybakina just built a new swing-set in the Riyadh park—and it’s clearly a fast serve slide.
Punchline 2: They say the race to Riyadh is a marathon, but with Rybakina moving like this, it’s more of a sprint to the snack bar between sets. Bring the popcorn, folks.
