Elena Rybakina secured the eighth and final spot at the upcoming WTA Finals next month by defeating Victoria Mboko 6-3 7-6(4) on Friday, advancing to the semifinals of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion has joined the prestigious lineup in Saudi Arabia after a solid fortnight, having won the Ningbo Open in China last week.
On Saturday, Rybakina will face sixth seed Linda Noskova from the Czech Republic in the last four.
The #2 seed quickly established a lead by taking the first three games against Canada’s 19-year-old Mboko, ultimately winning the first set. The second set was much more competitive, with Rybakina saving a set point against the 23rd-ranked Mboko before they proceeded to a tiebreak.
During the match, Rybakina delivered five aces and 23 winners compared to Mboko’s 17.
The Kazakh was engaged in a tight competition for the final WTA Finals qualification spot with Russia’s Mirra Andreeva.
Rybakina will join Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula and Jasmine Paolini, who secured the seventh spot by reaching the semifinals last week in Ningbo, at the season-ending tournament from November 1-8.
Rybakina’s victory has not only ensured her place in the WTA Finals and advanced her to the final four in Tokyo, but it has also allowed her to achieve a milestone unmatched by any other woman this season.
She is the only WTA player this season to achieve over ten wins each at Grand Slam, WTA 1000, and WTA 500 events in 2025, while she added two more WTA titles to her resume and holds a win-loss record of 51-19.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
