Rybakina Defeats Aryna Sabalenka to Secure Record £4 Million Reward
Elena Rybakina earned her 45th hard-court triumph of 2025
Elena Rybakina won the biggest payday in women's tennis all time by defeating top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets at the championship.
Rybakina produced a impressive performance to defeat four-times Grand Slam winner Sabalenka in two sets in Saudi Arabia.
Because each competitor came through the competition without a loss, the prize money on the table was a unprecedented £3.98 million – the largest payout offering in WTA the sport's history.
The prize money surpasses the £3.74m the Belarusian won for claiming the New York major, which was the highest-paying major tournament in 2025.
"This has been an fantastic week," commented the Kazakh player.
"Truly couldn't have predicted this outcome so to reach the final was just unbelievable."
"I want to say congratulations to Sabalenka for holding the top spot for a second consecutive year in a row, it's an tremendous accomplishment."
Rybakina, who was the world number six, delivered sixteen winning shots during a dominant opening set performance.
Rybakina fended off two chances before winning every point in the sixth game to take the break and served out to win the first set.
As the second set progressed, the world number one defended two break points at 4-4 to shift the balance in her favour.
But, after fighting back to disrupt her opponent's flow, Sabalenka failed to capitalize by squandering two chances in the following game to tie the second set at five-all.
Her inability to force a decider affected her tiebreak play, with Rybakina winning all seven points to take home the championship.
This win, her sixth triumph over her rival, means Rybakina will rise one spot in the WTA rankings to number five in the world.
An emotional the runner-up was seen crying as she met with her coaching team shortly after the final.
"That was not the best display from me today but Elena you were certainly the superior player," Sabalenka told the crowd.
"You literally smashed me out of the court. I'm happy to see you at your peak. Enjoy this stunning title."
