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Elena Rybakina opened her 2026 campaign in emphatic fashion، dismantling former world No.2 Paula Badosa 6-3، 6-2 at the Brisbane WTA 500 on January 8 to reach the quarterfinals — a result that underscores the world No.5’s early-season form.

This was reported by the Infohub.kz news agency.

Scoreline and tempo

Rybakina closed the contest in straight sets and under 90 minutes، never allowing Badosa to find rhythm. The Kazakh star controlled the baseline exchanges and protected her serve to finish 6-3، 6-2.

Quality of opposition

Badosa، Spain’s former world No.2 (2022)، entered Brisbane ranked No.25، giving additional weight to Rybakina’s win over a top-25 opponent early in the season.

Streak and Brisbane track record

According to tournament data، Rybakina’s winning run in Brisbane has reached 13 matches. She captured the title at this event last season، stringing together seven victories without dropping a set.

What’s next

In the quarterfinals، Rybakina awaits the winner of Karolina Muchova (Czech Republic) vs. Ekaterina Alexandrova (Russia)، as the field tightens at the WTA 500.

Opening round and other Kazakh results

Rybakina began the tournament by defeating China’s Zhang Shuai in straight sets in the round of 32. Elsewhere، Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva fell short of the last 16، losing to Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.