Entering the WTA Finals Championship Game, Aryna Sabalenka knew Elena Rybakina would bring her best. But she, too, was not going to give up as easily on her first possible Billie Jean King trophy. The Saturday match in Riyadh, however, turned out quite different. With the No. 1 seed’s hopes all lost at the hands of the Kazakhistani, Sabalenka couldn’t do anything but tear up at the reality.

“Today, especially, maybe… yeah, not the best performance,” Sabalenka’s voice cracked after her 6-3, 7-6(0) defeat. “But you were definitely a better player today. You literally smashed me out of the court. Very well done. Happy to see you playing your best tennis, nice comeback at the end of the season. Now it’s time to enjoy our offseason and enjoy this beautiful trophy.”

With the straight sets win, Rybakina secured the biggest payday in women’s tennis history, worth a record $5.235 million.

After the match, the emotions on court were real and raw. Aryna Sabalenka’s face was red, her eyes filled with tears, and for a moment, she couldn’t speak. Trying to hold it together, all she could utter softly was, “I’m getting old, really sensitive.” The crowd immediately cheered for her, only to tear her up again. Watch it for yourself:

In the game, Rybakina continued her strong momentum through the event and didn’t hold anything back. Using her powerful serve and groundstrokes to break Aryna Sabalenka early and take the first set 6-3. The second set was far tighter, with Sabalenka fighting hard to turn things around, but Rybakina held firm and forced a tiebreak. From there, she was unstoppable, dominating the tiebreak 7-0.

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With the win, the Kazakhstani star claimed her biggest title since Wimbledon 2022. Going into the match, both athletes had similar playing styles. However, first-strike serving and scoreboard pressure were predicted to be the factors that could tip the scales.

And if you’re wondering what exactly was her biggest weapon… yes, it was her serve!

By the end of the game, she had 13 aces, barely any break points faced, and a stunning 72.6% of total points won compared to Aryna Sabalenka’s 56.2%. What made it even more impressive was that she had been playing through a shoulder issue, making her victory all the more impressive.

Now, overall, the Belarusian is 8-6 against Rybakina. However, the Kazakh leads their WTA Finals H2H with 2-1 now. Sabalenka previously won their group stage match in 2023 before Rybakina got her last year.

The Belarusian’s dominance on the WTA isn’t anything less, though. By securing the year-end world No. 1 ranking for a second consecutive year, Aryna Sabalenka has already joined an elite class of players. For one, her WTA Finals opponent knew it.

Rybakina hails Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka, despite the loss, has had a brilliant 2025 season. She won more titles than anyone else on the WTA Tour, including the US Open, as well as the Brisbane International, Miami Open, and Madrid Open. She also reached the finals at the Australian Open, Indian Wells, Stuttgart Open, and French Open, proving she is one of the most consistent players on tour.

“I want to congratulate Aryna for being number one for the second year in a row,” Rybakina said. “It’s an amazing achievement. Today was such a tough battle; some moments I got lucky, but this is tennis. I hope we’re going to play many more finals together.”

Her words of respect seemed to close the chapter on the match. With the season now coming to an end, Rybakina can nurse her shoulder injury properly, and Sabalenka can find a way to not just continue her dominance but also get the one final trophy that continues to elude her.