Elena Rybakina Triumphs at 2025 Internationaux de Strasbourg
The Kazakh player battled Liudmila Samsonova of Russia in the final.
Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, 25, defeated Liudmila Samsonova of Russia, 26, to win the Women’s Singles title at the 2025 Internationaux de Strasbourg in Strasbourg, France (a WTA 500 event). The score in the final was 6-1, 6-7 (2-7 tiebreaker) and 6-1 in favor of Rybakina.
This was the sixth match Rybakina and Samsonova have played against each other on the WTA Tour - with Samsonova leading 4-1 in their head-to-head. Today’s victory was the first title Rybakina has won on the 2025 WTA Tour and the ninth title of her career in single’s competition. Notably, this was the fourth title she has claimed from a clay court event and her fourth from a 500-level tournament. Moreover, she becomes the first player representing Kazakhstan to win the title in Strasbourg since the event joined the tour in 1987.
Heading into this tournament, Rybakina was ranked as the Number 12 tennis player on the 2025 WTA Tour, while Samsonova carried the Number 19 designation. By winning in Strasbourg, Rybakina has received 500 points in the overall rankings. Meanwhile, Samsonova has picked up 325 points.
Madison Keys of the United States (No. 7) was the tournament’s reigning champion. She opted not to compete this year. Furthermore, Rybakina and Samsonova were the event’s fourth and eighth seeds, respectively. The top four seeds received a bye into the second round of competition.
Rybakina arrived in the final after winning against Wang Xinyu of China (No. 42), Magda Linette of Poland (No. 33), and ninth seed Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil (No. 23). This was the 20th WTA final she has contested and her seventh at a 500-level event.
In the other half of the main draw, Samsonova defeated Linda Nosková of the Czech Republic (No. 29), wildcard Diane Parry of France (No. 105), third seed Paula Badosa of Spain (No. 10), and Danielle Collins of the United States (No. 46). This was the ninth WTA final she has contested and her fourth at a 500-level event.
The revised rankings for the 2025 WTA Tour will be officially released on Monday, May 26. The tour will then play one tournament from May 25-June 8: the French Open in Paris, France (a Grand Slam event). The competition will be played on clay courts.
Iga Świątek of Poland (No. 5) is the three-time reigning champion of the French Open. She is trying to become the first player in the Open Era to win the Grand Slam title in four consecutive years. As the fifth seed this year, she will face off against Rebecca Šramková of Slovakia (No. 41) in the first round.
Rybakina and Samsonova will also be contesting the Grand Slam in Paris as the 12th and 19th seeds, respectively. In the first round, Rybakina will battle qualifier Julia Riera of Argentina (No. 204) and Samsonova will play Mayar Sherif of Egypt (No. 61).