Aryna Sabalenka extended her Wuhan Open 2025 winning streak to 20 matches after defeating Elena Rybakina 6-3, 6-3 in the quarterfinals on Friday. The World No. 1 delivered another powerful performance to secure her place in the semifinals and strengthen her bid to end the season as year-end No. 1 for the second consecutive year.
Their latest clash came six years after their first encounter at the same stage of the Wuhan Open, where Sabalenka’s victory paved the way for her maiden WTA 1000 title.
“Honestly, that’s just crazy,” summed up Sabalenka about her unbeaten run during an on-court interview. “I feel a really great connection with the Chinese fans, I guess. I feel like at home playing in this stadium.”
Sabalenka Breaks Through Rybakina’s Strong Start
The match started evenly, with both players holding serve in the first seven games. Rybakina showed resilience, but Sabalenka eventually found her opening. On her second break point, the Belarusian star unleashed a stunning inside-in forehand to snap the Kazakh’s streak of 23 straight service holds.
Once Sabalenka broke through, she didn’t look back. She controlled the baseline rallies, dictated with her serve, and increased the pressure with aggressive returns.
Wuhan Streak Intact, Semifinal Showdown Ahead
Sabalenka dominated the middle phase of the match, winning seven of eight games to put the result beyond doubt. She wrapped up the quarterfinal when Rybakina sent a forehand long, keeping her flawless Wuhan record intact.
The 27-year-old is chasing her 10th WTA 1000 trophy and third of the 2025 season after earlier victories in Miami and Madrid. This semifinal appearance also marks her 60th at the tour level, including 11 this season.
Next, Sabalenka will meet Jessica Pegula, who mounted a comeback to beat Katerina Siniakova 2-6, 6-0, 6-3. Pegula will aim to improve her 2-8 head-to-head record against Sabalenka and book a spot in the final.
Meanwhile, Rybakina’s loss stalls her push to overtake Jasmine Paolini in the Race to the WTA Finals. Paolini can extend her advantage by beating Iga Swiatek for the first time in seven matches later Friday. If Paolini falls, Pegula will clinch qualification to Riyadh.
With her confidence soaring and a perfect record in Wuhan, Sabalenka remains the clear title favorite as the tournament heads into its decisive stages.
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