Elena Rybakina poses with the trophy after defeating Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the women’s singles final at the Ningbo Open. (AFP pic)BENGALURU: A year after winning the Ningbo Open transformed Elena Rybakina's season, the world number one returned to the Chinese city and retained her title on Sunday, as her game clicked into gear before another tilt at the WTA Finals.

Her 2025 success proved the springboard for a stellar run as she secured the last spot in the eight-player WTA Finals field the following week, before winning the season finale and carrying that momentum into the current campaign.

The 27-year-old Kazakh went on to capture the Australian Open title in January before claiming her third Grand Slam crown at the US Open last month.