Reconfiguring patterns, Elena Rybakina realized her biggest title run of the season.
The last qualifier for these WTA Finals delivered first-rate tennis in Riyadh.
Rybakina saved two set points in the 10th game then powered through a perfect tiebreaker sweeping Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 7-6(0) to capture her maiden WTA Finals championship.
The sixth-seeded Rybakina completed a dominant undefeated Riyadh run raising the Billie Jean King title trophy, registering her 11th consecutive victory—and collecting a WTA record champion’s check of $5.235 million.
“I was just trying to be solid from the beginning to the end,” Rybakina told Tennis Channel’s Coco Vandeweghe afterward. “Honestly, Aryna is very difficult to play when she gets a good day of good serving. It’s not easy at all.
“I was just trying to stay strong and fight for each ball. I’m happy that it went my way. I don’t know how I would feel if we needed to play a third set. Honestly, physically I gave it all, mentally also, to stay so focused. We both served so well in the end of the second set that I was like: What else is going to be happening?
“I’m very glad and proud for what I have achieved at the end of this season. Starting the season not so good and finishing like this, it’s amazing.”
Embed from Getty ImagesIt’s the 10th straight edition of the WTA Finals to produce a first-time champion and Rybakina pulled off a major role reversal to realize it.
Typically, world No. 1 Sabalenka commands the center of the court and bullies baseline play.
Today, the 2022 Wimbledon winner Rybakina reversed that trend bossing the Belarusian around for much of the match. Though she tends to predictably play her forehand crosscourt, Rybakina rifled some flat forehands down the line and also create some sharper, shorter angles. Rybakina slashed 13 aces—she finished the year with a WTA-best 515 aces on the season—and saved all five break points she faced.
Though Sabalenks is undisputed Tiebreaker Queen, carrying a 22-2 tiebreaker record in 2025 into today’s breaker, it was Rybakina calling the shots from start to finish.
Rybakina drew five errors in a row, ripped an ace down the T for a fistful of championship points.
On her first championship points, Rybakina drew an errant return closing a commanding week that saw her defeat six Top 10 opponents in succession to rule Riyadh.
While Sabalenka will rue the two set points she failed to convert, and a poor tiebreaker performance, she earned a $2.695 Million runner-up payday and ends the season with both her second straight year-end No. 1 ranking and a WTA-record $15 Million in prize money in 2025.
“Thank you so much for the support, today especially,” Sabalenka told Riyadh fans during the trophy presentation. “Maybe not the best performance, but yeah, Elena you were definitely a better player today.
“You literally smashed me out of the court. Very well done. I’m happy to see you play your best tennis. Nice comeback at the end of the season. Now, it’s time to enjoy our offseason and enjoy this beautiful trophy.”