PREVIEW | WTA Internationaux de Strasbourg - Final: Elena Rybakina aims to secure her first trophy of the season against Liudmila Samsonova

Two former top-10 players will battle for supremacy at the Internationaux de Strasbourg this Saturday, May 24, as Elena Rybakina and Liudmila Samsonova prepare to write the final chapter of the last week of clay-court tennis before the beginning of the 2025 edition of Roland Garros.

This edition of the Internationaux de Strasbourg has served as the perfect warm-up for the upcoming French Open, with the WTA 500 event delivering great tennis on the clay courts of France. This year's tournament has featured a competitive field that included several top players, ahead of the season's second Grand Slam. The final match represents an opportunity to shine for both players as they seek to build momentum heading into Roland Garros.

Elena Rybakina arrives to this finals carrying the hopes of ending a title drought that has stretched for over a year. The Kazakhstani demonstrated her trademark resilience in Friday's marathon against Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia. The duel lasted nearly three hours with Rybakina winning 7-8(79, 1-6, 6-2. The former Wimbledon champion won six straight games in the third to clinch that victory and advance to the final.

Rybakina's last title was at the 2024 Stuttgart Open. Despite falling out of the top ten after not playing this year in Germany and therefore, dropping those points, her aggressive baseline game and powerful serve make her one of the most dangerous players on the Tour.

On the other side of the net will be Liudmila Samsonova, who will be playing her second consecutive Strasbourg final after overcoming USA's Danielle Collins. Based on a great serve, Samsonova closed a convincing victory against the American 6-4, 6-2.

The Russian's return to the Strasbourg final marks a significant achievement, having finished as runner-up to Madison Keys in 2024. The world No. 25 has been seeking consistency throughout 2025, alternating ups and downs. This semifinal performance demonstrated that Samsonova could also be a serious threat ahead of the French Open, especially if she's able to defeat a formidable opponent as Rybakina.

Samsonova dominates the head-to-head 4-1, although she hasn't been able to defeat the Kazakhstani since 2023. They played in Abu Dhabi last year, where Rybakina managed to earn her first win against the Russian.