After falling short to Aryna Sabalenka in the Wuhan Open quarterfinals last week, Elena Rybakina is back in full swing at the Ningbo Open, and this time, she’s having a blast on Center Court. The 26-year-old has been in top form, cruising into the semifinals to keep her WTA Finals hopes alive. But interestingly, Rybakina hinted there’s something she’s even more focused on right now than securing a spot among the final eight.

In the round of 16, Elena Rybakina battled past Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska in a three-set rollercoaster. She took the first set, dropped the second, and then powered through the decider 6–4, 6–7, 6–3. Her next match against Ajla Tomljanovic was another show of dominance. Rybakina broke early, got broken back, but never lost control. She fired seven aces, earned 12 break point chances, and converted six of them, on her way to a 6-2 6-0 victory. Now, heading into the next round, she’s exuding confidence.

Just a few hours ago, The Tennis Letter took to X to share what Kazakhstan’s top player, Elena Rybakina, said after booking her spot in the Ningbo Open semifinals. “Welcome to the semifinals. The result here is connected to your qualifying for the WTA Finals. Is there any pressure on that?” a reporter asked.“I won’t say it’s pressure,” she replied coolly. “Of course, it would be nice to qualify. But I know for this I still need to win a lot of matches. Not only here, but also next week,” Rybakina said. “I just try to finish the season as best as possible. Most important is to stay healthy. The season has been very long. Not that successful for me. But I still think it’s been pretty decent. Just important to stay healthy and be ready for the next one.”

Reflecting on her straight-sets win over Ajla Tomljanovic, Rybakina praised her own serve and composure. “Today I think I served well. It’s not easy to play Ajla. Today a lot of things went my way. Also some lines which I caught. Overall happy I won in straight sets. Looking forward for tomorrow,” she said.

She also took a moment to thank her growing fanbase in China, flashing a rare smile. “Thank you so much guys for always coming and supporting. I feel the energy. I really enjoy playing here in China. Thank you, xiexie,” Rybakina said warmly. But while her calm confidence has fans impressed, it’s fair to wonder, should Elena Rybakina really be this relaxed heading into her semifinal showdown?

Before Rybakina even stepped on court, Jasmine Paolini, one of her direct rivals for the final WTA Finals spots, had already turned up the heat by defeating Belinda Bencic to reach the semifinals. That win pushed Paolini ahead of Mirra Andreeva in the Race to Riyadh standings, while Rybakina stayed at No. 9, roughly 400 points behind her closest competitors. Then again, the question remains: does Jasmine Paolini also feel no pressure?

Pressure mounts on both sides as Elena Rybakina faces Jasmine Paolini

Twice Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini faces a must-win battle against Elena Rybakina in the Ningbo semifinals if she wants to punch her ticket to next month’s WTA Finals in Riyadh. Her quarterfinal against Belinda Bencic turned into an absolute marathon, lasting three hours and 22 minutes, the longest match of Paolini’s season.

Bencic served for the match at 5-4 in the second set but couldn’t close it out, and later needed a medical timeout in the decider while trailing 4-3 due to a thigh issue. “One of the toughest I ever played, honestly,” Paolini said after the win. “Belinda, she’s an amazing player and a very good person. Today she deserved to win as well, so it was really tough.”

Still, the pressure is on Paolini this time. With the WTA Finals field nearly set, featuring Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula, and Madison Keys, only two spots remain. Paolini is fighting to grab one, but to do so, she’ll have to get past Rybakina, one of the tour’s toughest servers and most consistent players on hard courts.

Interestingly, according to the odds, Elena Rybakina is favored to win roughly two-thirds of the time, thanks to her dominant serve and power game on outdoor surfaces. Fans and bookmakers alike are leaning toward the Kazakh’s experience and composure under pressure, but Paolini’s grit and endurance can’t be underestimated. So the real question is, who do you think takes this one?