Romania’s Simona Halep won her 20th career title on Saturday, February 22, by defeating Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina in the Dubai Tennis Championships final. The match came down to a wire as Halep staged a come back to win 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5).
Halep was a set down and seemed headed for defeat after trailing 1-3 in the final set.
This is Halep’s second title in Dubai, having won the first in 2015. The Romanian tennis superstar is fresh from a semifinal finish at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
As for Rybakina, the 20-year old continued her red-hot streak in 2020. This is her fourth final in five events contested. In January, she reached the final in Shenzhen and won the Hobart Open. She reached the third round in Melbourne (losing to world number one Ashleigh Barty).
The young Rybakina regrouped after Melbourne and reached the final in St. Petersburg last week (lost to Kiki Bertens) and in Dubai.
Her impressive results will result to another new career high ranking on Monday at 17. A year ago, she was ranked 192.
Halep will remain at number two in the world rankings by Monday behind Ashleigh Barty.
