Elena Rybakina achieved a career-defining milestone at the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh, defeating world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6–3, 7–6 (7–0) to secure the year-end singles title and an unprecedented $5.23 million (£3.97 million) prize.
The payout is the largest ever awarded to a female athlete for a single sporting event, marking a landmark moment for women's tennis and global sport — and widely cited as evidence of growing financial parity between men's and women's tennis.
