© Getty Images Sport – Yanshan Zhang
Elena Rybakina has become the first player since Belinda Bencic to clinch four consecutive wins against the world No 1 in women’s tennis, via OptaAce. On Friday, world No 5 Rybakina defeated top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 7-5 6-2 in the Beijing quarterfinal.
Earlier this year, Rybakina clinched three consecutive wins over Iga Swiatek, who at the time was the world No 1 in women’s tennis. Before Rybakina, the last player to win four consecutive matches against the world No 1 was Bencic, who accomplished the feat between 2015 and 2019.
Before beating Sabalenka in Beijing, Rybakina claimed wins over Swiatek at this year’s Australian Open, Indian Wells, and Rome.
4 – With victory over Aryna Sabalenka to reach the Beijing SF, Elena Rybakina is the first player to win four consecutive matches against the WTA’s #1 since Belinda Bencic between Toronto 2015 and the US Open 2019.
Unflustered.#ChinaOpen | @ChinaOpen @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/bVDHTtZP6T — OptaAce (@OptaAce) October 6, 2023
Rybakina beats Sabalenka, earns her fourth consecutive win against the No 1
Against Sabalenka, Rybakina earned the first break of the match in the third game but…
