Leylah Fernandez advances to Ningbo Open final, sets up title clash with world No. 1 Rybakina

ASM, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
October 25, 2026

Photo courtesy: WTA

NINGBO, China — Filipina-Canadian tennis star Leylah Fernandez is one victory away from her second title of the season after defeating Czech Republic’s Marie Bouzkova, 6-3, 7-5, in the Ningbo Open semifinals on Saturday, October 24.

The 24-year-old from Laval, Quebec, overcame a challenging match on the outdoor hard courts to secure her place in Sunday’s championship final against world No. 1 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan.

Fernandez, currently ranked No. 30 in the world, needed one hour and 58 minutes to finish off Bouzkova and reach the 10th WTA singles final of her career.

The victory continues her strong run in Asia, following her Singapore Open triumph in September.

Fernandez holds firm in tight semifinal

Although Fernandez won in straight sets, Bouzkova repeatedly challenged her serve and forced several lengthy exchanges throughout the match.

The Canadian faced 15 break points but saved 10, while converting eight of her own 18 opportunities to break Bouzkova’s serve.

Fernandez relied on consistent returns to stay competitive during a match in which both players struggled to hold serve.

After taking the opening set 6-3, she encountered stronger resistance in the second as Bouzkova fought to keep the contest alive.

With the score tied at 5-5, Fernandez claimed the final two games to seal the victory without needing a deciding set.

She finished with three aces and won 46 points on return.

World No. 1 Rybakina awaits in championship match

Fernandez will face a difficult challenge in the final against defending Ningbo champion Elena Rybakina, who defeated Russia’s Diana Shnaider by an identical 6-3, 7-5 scoreline in the other semifinal.

Rybakina, the tournament’s top seed, needed one hour and 35 minutes to secure her victory and advance to her 28th career WTA final.

The Kazakhstan star is seeking to successfully defend her Ningbo title, while Fernandez hopes to capture her second trophy of 2026.

The two players have met five times previously on the WTA Tour, with Rybakina holding a 3-2 advantage in their head-to-head record.

Their Ningbo meeting will be their first championship match against each other.

Fernandez targets another title after Singapore triumph

Fernandez entered the Ningbo tournament carrying momentum from her Singapore Open victory in September, which gave her a sixth career WTA singles title.

Her route to the Ningbo final included a quarterfinal victory over Ekaterina Alexandrova before Saturday’s straight-sets win against Bouzkova.

The Canadian also needed three sets in each of her first three matches in Ningbo, making her semifinal victory her first straight-sets win of the tournament.

A victory over Rybakina would give Fernandez her seventh career singles title and her second of the year.

The championship match is scheduled for Sunday, October 25, at the Ningbo Open in eastern China.