Elena Rybakina hits milestone 80th WTA 500 match victory in Ningbo campaign
World No. 1 Elena Rybakina has added another milestone to her career, becoming the fourth-fastest player in tennis history to secure 80 wins at WTA 500 tournaments after returning to competition in China, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
In her opening match at the WTA 500 Ningbo Open in China, Rybakina faced Uzbekistan’s Polina Kudermetova. The match ended prematurely due to Kudermetova’s injury, with Rybakina leading 5-0 in the first set.
The victory marked Rybakina’s 50th win of the 2026 season, including Australian Open and the US Open titles.
The day’s biggest highlight was another historic achievement: Rybakina secured her 80th career victory at WTA 500 tournaments. She reached the milestone in just 117 matches, making her the fourth-fastest player in tennis history to achieve the feat.
Rybakina is currently competing in China, where she will face Poland’s Katarzyna Kawa in the quarterfinals in Ningbo. Her main objectives for the remainder of the season are to retain the top spot in the world rankings and defend her title at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells.
Earlier, Qazinform reported Kazakhstan’s Rybakina retained the world No.1, Putintseva leaped 13 spots.