Rybakina defends her Ningbo title: 6-2, 6-2 over Leylah Fernandez in the final

On 25 October Elena Rybakina won the WTA 500 event in Ningbo, beating Canada's Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 6-2 in the final in 1 hour 16 minutes. According to the WTA, she never lost her serve and saved all four break points she faced. In the quarterfinal Rybakina beat Katarzyna Kawa 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, and in the semifinal Diana Shnaider 6-3, 7-5. It is the first successful title defence of her career, her fourth trophy of the season - more than any other player in 2026 - and the 15th of her career. She is now eight wins from eight matches in Ningbo. After the final Rybakina said Ningbo had become a special place for her and that the win gives her extra motivation for the rest of the season. The champion receives 500 ranking points and $185,500 in prize money. Her next event is Tokyo, where she is the top seed.