Elena Rybakina made tennis history by reaching the WTA Finals semifinal as she is the first Kazakh tennis player to reach the last-four stage at the prestigious season-ending tournament.
On Wednesday, Rybakina concluded the group stage with a perfect 3-0 record after registering a 6-4 6-4 win over Ekaterina Alexandrova, who stepped in as an alternate after Madison Keys withdrew due to illness. In the previous two Round Robin matches, the Kazakh also ousted Amanda Anisimova and overcame Iga Swiatek.
And for the first time since the WTA Finals' inaugural edition in 1971, a Kazakh tennis player will be competing in the semifinal stage.
Rybakina has been a regular participant in the WTA Finals for the past three years, but she failed to make it past the group at the season-ending tournament in 2023 and 2024. But this year, she delivered big time in the group stage and won Group Serena Williams.
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Rybakina's reaction to beating Alexandrova for a perfect 3-0 WTA Finals group record
Every match I play, I want to win. Each win gives you confidence, so Im really happy with that for now. The last few matches have been great and hopefully I can continue that," the world No. 6 said after beating Alexandrova.
Going into their Riyadh match, Alexandrova led their head-to-head 3-2. But on Wednesday, Rybakina tied their head-to-head.
"Ekaterina is always a tough opponent. She has a big serve, and especially in the beginning it was difficult to return, so Im pretty happy that I managed to win in two sets in the end," the 2022 Wimbledon champion said of her 30-year-old rival.
In the WTA Finals semifinal, Rybakina will take on Jessica Pegula. The Kazakh trails in their head-to-head 2-3 but she won their last meeting during this year's Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers.
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Rybakina has won two titles so far during the 2025 season.
