Elena Rybakina defends Ningbo title for fourth trophy of 2026

Ningbo, Oct 25 : World No.1 Elena Rybakina defended her Ningbo Open title after defeating Canada's Leylah Fernandez in a lopsided final at the centre court here on Sunday.

Rybakina needed 1 hour and 16 minutes to beat Fernandez 6-2, 6-2 for her fourth title of the year. She broke World No.30 four times in the match, two each in both sets to win back-to-back titles in Ningbo.

"All of you guys, thank you so much for an amazing atmosphere. It's amazing to play in front of you. (You guys) always give a lot of motivation and a lot of energy to keep on playing. It's already my second year playing here and my second win. It's such a special place for me. Thank you so much," Rybakina said in her on-court speech after the win.

The Kazakh faced a bit of a challenge early in the first set when she had to save consecutive break points. However, she put up a stellar performance and went on to win the next five games consecutively to seal the first set.

Rybakina was in good touch in the second set too, as she kept marching her way. The World No.1 broke Fernandez twice in the second set - once in the third game and then in the seventh one - and went on to win the match with ease.

This is her fourth title of the season and her 15th tour-level title of her career. She now has seven WTA 500 trophies, including two in Ningbo. Rybakina had previously won the Australian Open, Stuttgart and the US Open earlier this year. She was also crowned World No.1 during the Flushing Meadows.

This is also Rybakina's third consecutive tour-level win over the Canadian, whom she leads 4-2 in head-to-head battles. The Kazakh had also won in Ningbo last year and is now on an 8-0 winning streak at the Asian WTA 500 event.