Elena Rybakina is once again proving that calm under pressure can be just as powerful as a blistering serve. The Kazakh star advanced to the WTA Finals championship match in Riyadh after rallying from a set down to defeat Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a tense semifinal that lasted just over two hours.
For much of the opening set, Pegula looked the sharper of the two, breaking early and dictating the pace with clean baseline hitting. But as the match wore on, Rybakina began to find her range, leaning on the weapon that has long defined her game – her serve – to claw back momentum and ultimately book her place in Saturday’s final.
“It was such a tough battle,” Rybakina said in her post-match interview. “It’s always very difficult to play against Jessica and she started pretty well. I was a bit slow. Again, it was very quick. She broke me, so yeah, it was not easy to come back, but I’m glad that I managed to find my way in the second set and win it in this three-set battle.”
The 2022 Wimbledon champion went on to credit her composure and serve as the difference-maker. “Yeah, definitely the serve when I needed it helped me. I was trying to stay focused each point and we had some very tough rallies. I’m really happy that in the end I managed to push myself a bit more and won it.”
A serving milestone and a surge in form
Rybakina‘s 15 aces against Pegula didn’t just keep her in the match – they helped her reach a major statistical milestone. With that performance, she surpassed 500 aces for the 2025 season, becoming the first player since Karolina Pliskova in 2016 to achieve the feat. Her first serve was nearly untouchable throughout the semifinal, winning 73% of points and bailing her out of several tight service games.
Beyond the numbers, Rybakina‘s mental strength has defined her run in Riyadh. Earlier in the week, she staged another comeback to defeat world No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the group stage, turning a first-set loss into a dominant 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 victory – a result that snapped a four-match losing streak against the Polish star and underlined her ability to raise her level in big moments.
Her Riyadh campaign has also been a showcase of consistency, something that’s eluded her at times this season. She breezed through the group stage unbeaten, dispatching Amanda Anisimova, Ekaterina Alexandrova, and Swiatek with relative ease before outlasting Pegula in the semifinals. The victory also served as revenge for her defeat to the American at last year’s WTA Finals, when Rybakina fell short of the knockout stages.
“I’m a little bit tired, but I think everybody feels the same,” Rybakina said ahead of her semifinal. “The season has been long, but everyone is going to try to push no matter what. It’s really the last few matches left, so you try your best. When you get this far, recovery becomes just as important as the tennis itself.”
Eyeing redemption and the WTA throne
Rybakina‘s surge in form couldn’t have come at a better time. Her strong finish to the season – including a title at the Ningbo Open and a semifinal run in Tokyo – ensured her place among the elite eight in Riyadh. Now, after extending her winning streak to ten matches, including four against top-10 opponents, she stands on the brink of the biggest title of her year.
Currently ranked sixth in the world, Rybakina could leapfrog Jessica Pegula into the top five with a victory in the final. More importantly, it would mark her biggest statement since lifting the Wimbledon trophy two years ago – and perhaps her return to what Iga Swiatek once described as women’s tennis’ “big three,” alongside herself and Aryna Sabalenka.
Between June 2022 and 2023, Rybakina, Swiatek, and Sabalenka dominated the Grand Slam circuit, combining to win all five majors in that stretch. Yet Rybakina’s momentum cooled afterward, while her two rivals continued to trade major titles. Now, with the WTA Finals crown within reach, she has a chance to reignite that rivalry heading into 2026.
Her next opponent – Sabalenka – will pose a formidable challenge. But Rybakina, calm and confident as ever, isn’t looking too far ahead. “I just try to focus on my game, on what I can control,” she said. “If I serve well and stay aggressive, I always have a good chance.”
With her rhythm returning and her serve as lethal as ever, Elena Rybakina is closing in on a season-ending title that could reshape the top of the women’s game – and remind everyone that she’s still very much part of tennis’s elite.
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