Elena Rybakina has secured the last qualifying spot for the upcoming 2025 WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia after a decisive victory at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. The 2022 Wimbledon champion defeated 19-year-old Victoria Mboko 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) to reach the semi-finals, ensuring her participation in the season-ending event that features the top eight singles players and doubles teams.

Rybakina’s Road to the WTA Finals

Rybakina, 26, needed to reach at least the semi-finals in Tokyo to surpass Russian 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva in the race for the final qualifying position. With her win over Mboko, she has confirmed her place alongside some of the world’s elite players, including:

• Aryna Sabalenka
• Iga Swiatek
• Coco Gauff
• Amanda Anisimova
• Madison Keys
• Jessica Pegula
• Jasmine Paolini

Rybakina commented on her qualification, saying:

“It’s great to qualify and play some more matches, especially against top players. Last week I was focusing one match at a time and I knew that to qualify it’s going to take a long road.”

Recent Success Boosts Rybakina’s Ranking

The Kazakh star recently captured her second title of the 2025 season at the Ningbo Open in China, enhancing her WTA Finals prospects. Her consistent performance throughout the year will see her rise to world number six when the rankings are updated on Monday.

Upcoming Pan Pacific Open Semi-Final

In Tokyo, Rybakina is set to face sixth seed Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic in the Pan Pacific Open semi-finals on Saturday. Her strong showing in both Tokyo and China demonstrates her readiness for the WTA Finals, where she will compete against the very best in women’s tennis.

Alternates for the WTA Finals

Russian players Mirra Andreeva and Ekaterina Alexandrova (30) are confirmed as the first and second alternates for the Finals, ready to step in should any qualified player withdraw.

Rybakina’s qualification marks her third consecutive appearance at the WTA Finals, although she has yet to advance past the round-robin stage in previous editions. With her current form, she will be aiming to make a deeper run this year.