Kazakhstan’s Rybakina Wins Australian Open, Her Second Major

Elena Rybakina became the first player from Kazakhstan to win the Australian Open on Saturday, defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the final in Melbourne. Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, didn’t drop a set on her way to the final, capitalizing on her big serve and aggressive groundstrokes. She was down 0-3 in the third set against Sabalenka, but then won five consecutive games and closed out the match with an ace. She raised her arms in triumph and, after a brief embrace with the Belarusian at the net, jogged to her box to acknowledge her team. “Thank you so much to Kazakhstan,” Rybakina, 26, said in her victory speech, nodding in the direction of a group of fans in the stands. “I felt the support from that corner a lot.” The world No. 5 had lost to Sabalenka in three sets in the Australian Open Final in 2023. But Russia-born Rybakina defeated the world’s top player to win the WTA Finals in November after a year in which she won two WTA 500 titles but did not advance past the fourth round at any of the majors. “I just hope that we’re going to play many more finals together,” Rybakina said in Melbourne. Sabalenka has a head-to-head record of 8-6 over Rybakina.

Elena Rybakina Makes History as First Kazakh to Reach WTA Finals Semifinals

Elena Rybakina, Kazakhstan’s top-ranked tennis player and world number six, has made history by reaching the semifinals of the WTA Finals. She is the first player from Kazakhstan and the wider Central Asian region to advance to the playoffs of the prestigious year-end tournament. The WTA Finals, held annually since 1971, feature the top eight players based on points accumulated throughout the season rather than the current WTA rankings. In 2025, Rybakina secured her place in Riyadh ahead of world number ten, Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova. This is Rybakina’s third consecutive appearance at the Finals. After failing to progress beyond the group stage in 2023 and 2024, she achieved a breakthrough this year by finishing first in her group. Her round-robin opponents included world number two Iga Swiatek (Poland), world number four Amanda Anisimova (United States), and world number seven Madison Keys (U.S.). Rybakina began with a commanding 6–3, 6–1 victory over Anisimova, then mounted a comeback against Swiatek, overturning a 3–6 first-set loss to take the next two sets 6–1, 6–0. The consecutive wins secured her a place in the semifinals and the top position in the group with one match remaining. In the final group match, Keys withdrew due to injury and was replaced by Alexandrova, who had traveled to Riyadh as an alternate. Rybakina maintained her dominance, defeating the Russian 6–4, 6–4. At 25, the Moscow-born Rybakina, who represents Kazakhstan, has earned her place in the nation’s tennis history as the first player to reach the WTA Finals playoffs. Anisimova, who stunned Swiatek 6–7 (3), 6–4, 6–2, finished second in the group and will also advance. In the parallel group, semifinal qualification will be decided on November 6. World number one Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) leads and is set to face world number three Coco Gauff (U.S.), while Jessica Pegula (U.S.), currently in second place, will play Jasmine Paolini (Italy). Rybakina will face the runner-up from that group in the semifinal on November 7. The final is scheduled for November 8. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Rybakina’s strong 2025 season included titles at two WTA tournaments and a semifinal appearance at the Tokyo event in October, which secured her place at the Finals.