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Leylah Fernandez Reaches Ningbo Open Final vs Rybakina

By Drooid · Oct 24, 2026, 10:43 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Canadian Leylah Fernandez will meet Kazakhstani Elena Rybakina in the Ningbo Open final on Sunday.
Fernandez defeated Marie Bouzková 6-3, 7-5 in Saturday’s semifinal.
Rybakina beat Diana Shnaider 6-3, 7-5 in the other semifinal.
Fernandez served three aces and converted eight of 18 break-point chances.
Rybakina hit six aces but faced 11 set points to claim the first set.

History

Historical Context

At Wimbledon 2022, Kazakhstani Elena Rybakina captured her first Grand Slam title, defeating Poland’s Iga Swiatek in a three-set final. Rybakina’s victory netted £2.2 million, while she recorded 12 aces and three double faults in the championship match. Now, at the 2024 Ningbo Open, Rybakina faces Canadian Leylah Fernandez, who contested Novak Djokovic in the 2021 US Open final, echoing the emergence of new tennis nations. Their clash underscores how Rybakina’s 2022 breakthrough and Fernandez’s 2021 run have broadened tennis’s geographic competitiveness, prompting sponsors to target Asian and North American markets.

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Story summary

Canadian Leylah Fernandez will meet Kazakhstani Elena Rybakina in the Ningbo Open final on Sunday.
Fernandez defeated Marie Bouzková 6-3, 7-5 in Saturday’s semifinal.
Rybakina beat Diana Shnaider 6-3, 7-5 in the other semifinal.
Fernandez served three aces and converted eight of 18 break-point chances.
Rybakina hit six aces but faced 11 set points to claim the first set.

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