Asian tennis player misses the chance to reach world No. 2 for the first time

Despite securing 2 Grand Slam singles trophies in her career, this leading Asian player has yet to enter the top 2 in global tennis rankings.

The journey of Asia's No. 1 player, Elena Rybakina, at the 2026 Qatar Open ended in the quarterfinals after a 5-7, 6-4, 4-6 loss to the young Canadian talent - Victoria Mboko in the match held on February 12, Vietnam time.

Rybakina entered the match as the favorite but faced significant challenges against Mboko’s persistent and energetic style of play. The 19-year-old rising WTA star had previously made headlines by eliminating the 5th seed, another "gem": Mirra Andreeva, to reach the quarterfinals.

In the three-set match, Rybakina showcased her usual power with 11 aces, nearly double that of her opponent. However, the Kazakh player was less efficient in converting break points, succeeding in 5 out of 9, while Mboko capitalized on 6 of 12 opportunities.

The first set was tightly contested. Rybakina once led 5-3 after breaking serve and had a chance to close the set, but Mboko resiliently broke back to level at 5-5 before coming from behind to win 7-5.

In the second set, the reigning Australian Open champion displayed composure by breaking serve early and maintaining the lead to win 6-4, pushing the match to a deciding set. Yet, at critical moments, she could not sustain her consistency.

In the 10th game of the third set, with Mboko leading 40-0, Rybakina saved 3 match points to bring the game back to deuce. However, the Canadian secured two consecutive points to complete the decisive break, winning the thrilling three-set encounter.

This defeat is a disappointing setback for Rybakina, who had been maintaining strong form after her early-year Grand Slam victory. The Asian player had the chance to reach world No. 2 for the first time if she made the Qatar Open final—especially after Iga Swiatek’s elimination—but the Kazakh star was unable to seize the opportunity.

Victoria Mboko’s semifinal opponent will be Jelena Ostapenko, the defending runner-up of the tournament.