Elena Rybakina walked onto the court on Wednesday with her right shoulder taped and clearly tired from a long season. You could see it in the way she moved and the quick breaths she took between points. But once the match started, she forgot all that. She played smart and strong, beating Ekaterina Alexandrova 6‑4, 6‑4 in just 1 hour and 14 minutes and finishing the group stage with a perfect 3‑0 record. Yet, the real test of her season was only just beginning.

After the match, Rybakina talked about how hard the season had been. When asked about playing so many matches with a taped shoulder, she replied with a smile, “Yeah, I will, of course. I’m a little bit tired, but I think everybody’s the same, and the season has been long. But I think everyone is going to try to push no matter what.” Indeed, she had played four events and 11 matches over 29 days, traveling thousands of miles with very little rest. And those miles had a direct impact on the battles she faced on court.

Following her Ningbo Open 2025 title in China, she flew over a thousand miles to Tokyo and then on to Riyadh. The back-to-back tournaments and long flights clearly took a toll. She added, “It’s really the last two matches left, so you will try your best. And for now, I have one day off, so hopefully it helps. And yeah, we’ll try to do as best as possible.” With the shortest recovery period heading into the WTA Finals compared to the other seven singles competitors, Rybakina knew she had to manage her body carefully to keep her streak alive.

But Elena Rybakina knows she needs to stay healthy. “And yeah, I just need to stay healthy and try to recover for the next matches since it’s been a tough last three. So yeah, hopefully I can do my best in the next one.”

Interestingly, despite being the last player to qualify for the WTA Finals, she became the first to secure a spot in the semifinals due to impressive wins over No. 2-seeded Iga Swiatek and No. 4 Amanda Anisimova. But this match wasn’t easy, as Rybakina revealed the struggles she faced during the match.

Elena Rybakina breaks down tough battle in straight-set WTA finals victory

At the 2025 WTA Finals, Elena Rybakina was supposed to play Madison Keys in the round-robin WTA final match. However, Keys withdrew due to illness, and Mirra Andreeva was unable to play, so Rybakina faced second-alternate Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Alexandrova’s aggressive and fresh start immediately put pressure on Rybakina’s serve and baseline game. Rybakina had to put in a lot of effort early on because the scores were close; she saved three break points in the first set before breaking in the ninth game and holding serve to win that set 6-4. Rybakina increased the ante in the second set, gaining a 3-1 lead with a faster first serve and heavy, deep groundstrokes.

A key return break pushed her one game from the win. Although she stumbled a little with her serve late on, she closed it out 6‑4, 6‑4. After the match, Elena Rybakina opened up about the challenges of the match during her on-court interview, stating, “Yeah, it was tough, especially in the second set. I was up, and then, yeah, I lost a bit of concentration. And, I mean, Ekaterina is always a tough opponent.”

She added, “She also has a big serve, and especially in the beginning, it was difficult to return. So, yeah, I’m pretty happy that I managed to win in two sets in the end.” Even with the fatigue and the tough moments, Rybakina proved she’s ready for whatever comes next in the semifinals.