Thirteen months after her last title\u2014won on the clay courts of Stuttgart\u2014Elena Rybakina is back to winning ways. Once again on clay, she triumphed in Strasbourg, a WTA 500 event, defeating Liudmila Samsonova in the final with a score of 6-1, 6-7, 6-1.<\/p>\n
This title isn\u2019t like the others. The Kazakh had been going through a difficult period, struggling with form and a lack of confidence. Wins had become scarce, and her usual consistency was missing. But just before the French Open<\/a>\u2014the second Grand Slam of the year\u2014she found her best tennis again and earned 500 valuable points, narrowing the gap to the WTA Top 10.<\/p>\n TITLE NO. 9\ufe0f\u20e3<\/p>\n Elena Rybakina captures her first title in over a year after defeating Samsonova 6-1, 6-7(2), 6-1!#IS25<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/QqNY2qxn2H<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 wta (@WTA) May 24, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Now ranked No. 11 in the world and No. 8 in the Race to the WTA Finals<\/a>, Rybakina seems poised to launch a new chapter of her season. The victory in Strasbourg not only boosts her confidence but also positions her as a genuine contender as the clay-court season reaches its climax in Paris.<\/p>\n Her French Open draw, however, presents several hurdles. Despite Belinda Bencic\u2019s withdrawal\u2014which gives Rybakina a first-round match against Argentine qualifier Julia Riera\u2014her projected route is anything but easy. She could face two former Roland Garros champions early on: Jelena Ostapenko in the third round and Iga Swiatek<\/a> in the fourth.<\/p>\n Yet, Rybakina has shown her ability to shine in Paris, reaching the quarterfinals both in 2021\u2014when she defeated Serena Williams\u2014and again in 2024. Moreover, she has beaten both Ostapenko and Swiatek on clay in previous encounters.<\/p>\n The Strasbourg final, which lasted 2 hours and 16 minutes, was largely one-sided\u2014except for the second set. Samsonova only came close in that middle stretch, leading 5-3 and earning set points at 6-5 before ultimately edging the tiebreak. Outside of that, it was all Rybakina, who served up two \u201cbreadsticks\u201d (6-1, 6-1), asserting her superiority from start to finish.<\/p>\n\n
Eyes on the Top 10 and the French Open<\/h2>\n