Rybakina wins the title at the 2025 Ningbo Open. [Photo/Yongpai App]

Elena Rybakina, the newly crowned Women's Tennis Association (WTA) world No 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion, has confirmed that she will compete at the 2026 Ningbo Open from Oct 19 to 25. The singles qualifying rounds will be held on Oct 17 and 18.

Rybakina will return to a city that holds special significance in her career. Last October, she won the Ningbo Open for her 10th career title, launching an 11-match winning streak that carried her through the end of the 2025 season.

She went on to win the WTA Finals in Riyadh and captured the Australian Open in 2026, before completing a remarkable rise to the top of the rankings at the US Open. There, she defeated Zheng Qinwen in the quarterfinals, Gauff in the semifinals, and Aryna Sabalenka in the final to claim her first US Open title and second Grand Slam crown of the season.

On Sept 14, the 27-year-old became the 30th women's singles world No 1 in WTA history and the first from Kazakhstan.

Now, she is heading back to Ningbo — not only as the defending champion, but as the world's top-ranked player. For Rybakina, the journey that began in Ningbo is coming full circle.

Rybakina wears traditional Chinese attire and visits Zoumatang village. [Photo/Yongpai App]