Elena Rybakina advanced to the 2026 Ningbo Open quarterfinals on Thursday after Polina Kudermetova was forced out by a shoulder injury just 30 minutes into their second-round match. The world No. 1 had already built a 5-0 lead when a visibly emotional Kudermetova stopped play.
"Definitely not the way I wanted to finish the match," Rybakina said of the win. She added that she hoped Kudermetova bounces back quickly.
Rybakina Records Milestone at Ningbo Open After Kudermetova's Retirement
Despite the unfortunate ending, the result still marked a milestone for Rybakina.
It was her 50th win of 2026. It was also the first she's picked up wearing the No. 1 ranking, putting her at 50-14 on the season. Only Jessica Pegula and Mirra Andreeva have matched that number this year.
With Kudermetova behind her, Rybakina's focus has already shifted to the final eight in Ningbo. She'll face Poland's Katarzyna Kawa, ranked No. 128, who pulled off a 7-5, 6-2 upset over No. 5 seed Belinda Bencic earlier in the day.
Rybakina now carries a five-match winning streak on the hard courts in China. She remains the player to watch as WTA scores from Ningbo continue to roll in this week.
