Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Elena Rybakina Dominates WTA Finals 2025 Opener in Riyadh – For Most Wins Since US Open With 11th Victory Ties Jasmine Paolini

Kazakh star begins WTA Finals with dominant win, extending her post-US Open surge.

Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

In less than an hour of clean, calculated tennis, Elena Rybakina reminded everyone why she remains one of the WTA’s most formidable competitors. The No. 6 seed dispatched Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 6-1 in just 57 minutes to open her WTA Finals campaign in Riyadh with authority, moving to 1-0 in the Serena Williams Group. Making her third consecutive appearance at the year-end championships, the Kazakh broke Anisimova in the opening game and never allowed her back into rhythm, dictating pace from the baseline and closing with clinical precision.

11 – Elena Rybakina is now the player with the most WTA level wins since the end of the US Open (11, equalling Jasmine Paolini). Shape.#WTAFinalsRiyadh | @WTA @WTAFinalsRiyadh pic.twitter.com/yj3OlTj7mE
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) November 1, 2025

Rybakina’s Red-Hot Finish Keeps Her in the Elite Conversation

For Rybakina, the win carries extra weight beyond just group standings. The victory marked her 11th tour-level win since the US Open, tying Jasmine Paolini for the most during that span. It also pushed her season total to 55 wins, trailing only Aryna Sabalenka (59) and Iga Swiatek (61). With her latest triumph, Rybakina also matched her career-best mark from 2023, securing her seventh top-10 victory of the year.

Next up for Rybakina is a high-stakes encounter against Iga Swiatek, a familiar rival she has beaten four times in ten career meetings. However, Rybakina will enter the clash looking to snap a four-match losing streak in the rivalry, all of which came this season. The matchup could prove pivotal for semifinal qualification and for Rybakina’s momentum heading into the final stretch of 2025.

7 – Elena Rybakina has made her seventh top-10 win of the season, equalling her highest such tally in an entire calendar year (level with 2023). Fearless.#WTAFinalsRiyadh | @WTA @WTAFinalsRiyadh pic.twitter.com/tBfDg8k03r
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) November 1, 2025

As for Anisimova, her next challenge comes against Madison Keys, who earlier fell to Swiatek 6-1, 6-2 in her return from a two-month absence. The all-American contest will see Anisimova chasing several milestones, including her first WTA Finals win, her first victory over Keys, and her first WTA-level victory on an indoor hard court.

Elena Rybakina has been ranked between 6th and 4th in the world at the end of each year since 2023 🙌

She’s looking to break back into that top 3 📈 pic.twitter.com/zMJzPRbMqW
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) November 2, 2025

For Rybakina, though, Riyadh’s opening night was about reaffirming her place among the sport’s most consistent winners and reminding the field that her season isn’t done yet.

Mandatory Image Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Elena Rybakina

WTA Finals 2025

Rudra Dubey

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I’m an academic turned sports writer from Raipur, India, specializing in the NFL, MMA, and tennis at The Playoffs. I previously wrote for Sportskeeda and hold a B.A. and M.A. in History. My journey into sports media began far from the field, rooted in the arts and sciences. Funny enough, I didn’t grow up a sports fan; I used to see it all as just noise. But a fateful writing job introduced me to the world of sports, and what began as a gig quickly became a passion. I understood those voices aren’t noise; they’re emotions of true sports fans, and now I am one of them, writing with the same energy I once questioned.