A stunning display from Elena Rybakina toppled World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka to win the WTA Finals and take home the biggest single payday in women’s tennis history at $5.23m. Rybakina won her fifth match of the week in Riyadh and saved her best for the final, outplaying Sabalenka to win 6-3 7-6 (7-0) and lift her biggest title since Wimbledon in 2022.
Rybakina’s performance, which combined unstoppable serving and destructive groundstrokes, suggested the 26-year-old could once again compete for grand slam titles following a frustrating period of illness and a loss of form since her last major final at the Australian Open in 2023, where she lost to Sabalenka in three sets.
