Kazakhstan’s No. 1 tennis player, Elena Rybakina (World No. 5), advanced to the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 2026 Brisbane International. In the round of 16, Rybakina defeated Spain’s Paula Badosa (No. 25) 6-3, 6-2. With her victory following the WTA Finals in Riyadh, the Kazakhstani athlete has now won seven consecutive matches in official tournaments.
Badosa, 28, is no easy opponent. She reached a career-high ranking of World No. 2, a milestone Rybakina has yet to achieve. Last year, the Spanish player reached the semifinals of the Australian Open.
Before the new season began, Rybakina and Badosa had several mutual training sessions. Their current head-to-head record stands at 4-4. From the outset of the match, Badosa tried to overwhelm Rybakina with aggressive, power tennis.
Winning two consecutive games, Badosa took a 2-0 lead. However, Rybakina stood tall, demonstrating her strength both in defense and attack. After breaking back, the Kazakhstani athlete gradually found her rhythm.
The seventh game proved decisive in the first set, with the players contesting seven points at deuce. Rybakina secured her second break and then broke again in the ninth game, converting her first set point to take the set 6-3 in 47 minutes.
The Spaniard began making errors, and Rybakina took advantage, opening a 4-1 lead in the second set and closing it out 6-2.
The match lasted 1 hour 25 minutes. Rybakina hit three aces, while Badosa had six aces and nine double faults. Despite this, Rybakina won more points overall, 69-51.
In the quarterfinals, Rybakina is scheduled to face Czech Karolína Muchová (No. 20). Their head-to-head record is 1-1.
The hard-court tournament in Brisbane, Australia, has been held since 2009. With a prize fund of $1.2 million, it serves as a warm-up event for the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year.
