Rybakina Wins Ningbo; Paolini Clinches Finals Spot

Jasmine Paolini clinched the final spot in the 2025 WTA Finals after Mirra Andreeva declined to pursue a Pan Pacific wild card, locking Paolini into the season-ending field. Paolini earned the berth by mounting a 3-hour, 22-minute comeback over Belinda Bencic in Ningbo to reach the semifinals. Elena Rybakina went on to win the Ningbo Open, rallying from a set down to beat Ekaterina Alexandrova 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 for the 10th title of her career, firing 39 winners including 11 aces. Rybakina remains in contention for the Finals and would need a Pan-Pacific Open semifinal to overtake Andreeva in the race. Several other top players — including Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Świątek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys — had already secured their places in the season-ending championship.