Just a few weeks ago, Elena Rybakina’s place in the WTA Final wasn’t even guaranteed. But the Russian-born Kazakhstani star hit a stunning run of form to qualify. Rybakina capped off her resurgence with a flawless five-match unbeaten streak in Riyadh, clinching one of the biggest titles of her career with a 6-3, 7-6(0) win in the WTA Final. After sealing the triumph, the 26-year-old posed proudly with boxing legend Gennady Golovkin. 

According to The Tennis Letter, GGG was “in her box today, along with the President of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation,” both there to support her pursuit of glory. The victory over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka marks her third title of the season, her 11th overall, and her fourth major crown, following wins at Wimbledon, Indian Wells, and the Italian Open. Having witnessed her remarkable comeback firsthand, Golovkin shared a message on social media.

Golovkin sees Rybakina’s victory as the country’s achievement

After her win, Gennady Golovkin hopped on Instagram to share a picture of them from the event, praising Rybakina through the caption of the post. “Congrats Elena! Inspiring! Kazakhstan rocks again,” Golovkin wrote, as per translations. “Congratulations on your victory, Elena! A true victory of courage and spirit! This is another bright achievement of Kazakhstan in the world arena!” 

Notably, Golovkin has been serving as President of the National Olympic Committee since 2024 and announced his candidacy for President of World Boxing last month. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) hired the organisation to replace the IBA to oversee boxing in the Olympics. Elena Rybakina, on the other hand, has re-established herself as one of the significant players in women’s tennis, positioning herself for even greater success in 2026. 

And it was evident during her WTA Final game. The 1-hour, 45-minute match saw the Kazakh fire 8 aces to Sabalenka’s 7, committed 2 double faults against 4, and struck 28 winners with just 12 unforced errors. Sabalenka had 31 winners but 22 unforced errors. Elena Rybakina converted 2 of 5 break points while the Belarusian won 0 of 3, and Rybakina took 74 total points to Sabalenka’s 60. Regardless, the win did more than just add another trophy to her display. 

Elena Rybakina won the largest payout in women’s tennis history

Rybakina’s victory over the world No. 1, coming off a bad year, was impressive, but what’s even greater is that she made history with the match. The 26-year-old secured the largest payout in women’s tennis history with a straight-sets victory over the Belarusian player. How much? A record-breaking £3.98 million prize, surpassing the £3.74 million Sabalenka earned for winning the 2025 US Open.

“It’s been an incredible week,” Rybakina said after her win. “I honestly didn’t expect any result, so to go so far was just incredible.” Even Sabalenka, who remained gracious in loss, praised her opponent after the match. “It was not the best performance from me today, but Elena, you were definitely the better player. You literally smashed me out of the court.”

It appears Elena Rybakina not only impressed the tennis crowd but also earned respect from the legendary Gennady Golovkin. What did you think about her match?