Rybakina Wins Record £3.98m Prize After Beating Sabalenka in WTA Finals

Elena Rybakina produced a brilliant performance to defeat world number one Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets and claim the biggest prize in women’s tennis history at the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia.

The 26-year-old Kazakh star won 6-3, 7-6 (7-0) to secure a record-breaking £3.98 million in prize money, the largest payout ever in women’s tennis.

Both Rybakina and Sabalenka entered the final unbeaten in the tournament, making the victory even more remarkable for the 2022 Wimbledon champion.

Rybakina dominated the first set, hitting 16 winners and breaking Sabalenka’s serve in the sixth game to take control. She held firm to close out the set 6-3.

The second set was more closely contested. Sabalenka saved two break points at 4-4 and later had two set points at 5-4 but failed to convert either. Rybakina took advantage, forcing a tie-break and winning it without dropping a point.

“It’s been an incredible week,” said Rybakina after the match. “I honestly didn’t expect this result, so going all the way is amazing. Congratulations to Aryna for finishing another year as world number one – that’s a huge achievement.”

The win, Rybakina’s sixth over Sabalenka, means she will move up to fifth in the world rankings.

A disappointed Sabalenka admitted she had been outplayed. “It was not my best performance today, but Elena was definitely the better player,” she said. “She literally smashed me off the court. I’m happy for her – she deserved it.”

The victory crowns a memorable season for Rybakina and sets a new milestone for women’s tennis in both prize money and performance.