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Elena Rybakina was able to get another very important win in her bid to qualify for the WTA Finals after beating Leylah Fernandez.
Rybakina won the Ningbo Open last week after beating Ekaterina Alexandrova in the final, lifting just her second title this year.
This was particularly important for the former Wimbledon champion in terms of the race, with Rybakina needing just two wins to qualify for the WTA Finals.
However, standing in her way was Japan Open champion Fernandez, who had actually beaten Rybakina in their most recent encounter.
Photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty ImagesWhat Elena Rybakina said after beating Leylah Fernandez in Tokyo
Rybakina has recently been called the best server on the WTA Tour, and she was only broken once against Fernandez, whom she beat 6-4 6-3.
When speaking in her on-court interview after the match, Rybakina admitted that she was aware of how much of a tough challenge it was going to be to play against the former US Open finalist.
Rybakina also revealed that she had a difficult preparation going into her first match, with the weather preventing her from practicing outside.
“Yeah today was a very difficult match, it is always not easy against Leylah and especially first match for me here,” said Rybakina. “And also the conditions changed, when we came it was very rainy so I didn’t even hit outside so yeah pretty happy with the win and looking forward to my next match.”
It has been a busy couple of weeks for Rybakina, as she continues her push for the last spot at the WTA Finals over Mirra Andreeva.
Rybakina admitted that this has taken its toll on her, but she is prepared to keep pushing with the goal in mind.
“Well I’m feeling a little bit tired here of course, but ready to make last pushes,” the world number seven added. “Very happy with the last week and trying to bring everything from last week to here. I just wanted to say thank you so much for coming and supporting today.”
Rybakina then thanked the Tokyo crowd in Japanese before leaving the court to start her recovery process.
Elena Rybakina after beating Fernandez in Tokyo
“I’m feeling a bit tired of course but ready to make the last push. Very happy with the last week. Trying to bring everything from last week to here. Thank you so much for coming and supporting today.” ❤️
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— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 23, 2025
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Elena Rybakina vs Victoria Mboko Head-to-head
Rybakina is now just one win away from confirming her place at the WTA Finals for a third consecutive year, but she has another strong opponent standing in her way.
That opposition comes in the form of Canadian Open champion Victoria Mboko, who actually beat Rybakina in her run to the title in Montreal.
It has been a difficult period for the teenager since her big breakthrough victory, but Mboko has returned to winning ways in Tokyo and looks to be a real threat once again.
YearTournamentResult2025Washington Open (R16)Rybakina beat Mboko, 6-3 7-52025Canadian Open (SF)Mboko beat Rybakina, 1-6 7-5 7-6(4)
Rybakina does also have a win over Mboko, which came on the hard courts in Washington D.C. in July, but there will be a different sort of pressure on the Kazakhstani this time round.
Knowing that all she needs is just one win to qualify for the year-end WTA Finals, Rybakina will have to stay mentally strong against extremely challenging opposition.
AloJapan.com