Elena Rybakina Sinks Aryna Sabalenka To Claim Wta Finals And Record Prize

Elena Rybakina re-established herself arsenic 1 of nan important players successful women’s tennis arsenic she closed retired a week of spectacular, devastating performances against nan champion players successful nan world by wholly overpowering Aryna Sabalenka, nan No 1, to seizure 1 of nan biggest titles of her profession astatine nan WTA Finals successful Riyadh pinch a 6-3, 7-6 (0) win.

Having vanished nan season-ending tourney unbeaten successful her 5 matches, Rybakina is now $5.235m (£3.98m) richer, earning nan top prize money haul successful nan history of women’s sports. The triumph marks nan 26-year-old’s 4th large title aft her wins astatine Wimbledon successful 2022, and Indian Wells and nan Italian Open a twelvemonth later. This is her 3rd title of nan play and her 11th title connected nan WTA Tour overall.

Until a fewer weeks ago, 2025 had been a disappointing twelvemonth for nan Russian-born Kazakhstani, whose beingness successful Riyadh was acold from certain. She qualified for nan tourney pinch a superb precocious tally of shape and she has followed it up pinch immoderate of nan champion performances of her career, winning her past 11 matches successful nan process.

Over nan past fewer years, Sabalenka has built her estimation and immense occurrence down her tremendous crushed strokes and ceaseless aggression but present she recovered herself against nan 1 force who has proven connected galore occasions that she is tin of wholly outhitting nan Belarusian.

A time aft striking 15 aces successful her semi-final triumph complete Jessica Pegula, Rybakina reaffirmed her position arsenic nan champion server successful nan world by making her work games impenetrable and putting truthful overmuch unit connected Sabalenka to clasp her own. The Kazakhstani took nan first onslaught successful galore of nan baseline exchanges, forcing herself wrong nan baseline and perfectly eviscerating nan shot disconnected some wings. As she tried to antagonistic Rybakina’s relentless gait and depth, truthful often Sabalenka had nary clip to group up her strokes.

After snatching nan decisive break of nan opening group by laying discarded nan Sabalenka 2nd serve, Rybakina piled unit connected her force passim nan 2nd group pinch her ascendant serving, breezing done her ain work games while forcing nan No 1 into agelong games connected her ain serve.

Novak Djokovic won his 101st profession title astatine nan Hellenic Championships successful Athens. Photograph: Yorgos Karahalis/AP

As usual, Sabalenka fought desperately until nan end, holding patient successful generating 2 group points connected Rybakina’s service astatine 5-4 successful nan 2nd set, but nan Kazakhstani pulled herself together and ended nan lucifer serving and striking nan shot astatine an astonishing level. She struck 36 winners pinch 13 aces, while limiting Sabalenka to conscionable 12 winners.

Since her astonishment tally to nan Wimbledon title successful 2022, Rybakina’s past fewer seasons person been fascinating. She is truthful highly regarded that she has truthful often been discussed alongside Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff moreover erstwhile her results person not matched up to theirs. Too often, Rybakina has not been capable to find her champion tennis successful nan important moments during nan biggest tournaments. She has besides been unsettled by galore off-court problems, peculiarly nan suspension of her coach, Stefano Vukov, who had been accused of being verbally and emotionally abusive towards Rybakina earlier his prohibition was lifted successful August.

However, location has ne'er been immoderate uncertainty astir nan value of her ascendant service and atomic shot striking. She has now placed herself backmost among nan champion successful nan world and positioned herself for moreover greater occurrence successful 2026.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic held his nervus astatine nan extremity of a melodramatic beingness tussle to retrieve from a group down and conclusion Lorenzo Musetti 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 aft 3 hours to triumph his 101st profession title astatine nan Hellenic Championship successful Athens, an ATP 250 event. By defeating Musetti, nan ATP No 9, Djokovic stopped nan Italian from automatically qualifying for nan ATP Finals, which originates connected Sunday successful Turin.

Djokovic decided to compete successful Athens because his family owns nan tournament, which had antecedently been held successful Belgrade, and he now resides successful Athens. However, it is unclear whether Djokovic will compete successful Turin.

Cameron Norrie suffered a achy nonaccomplishment successful nan Moselle Open last arsenic he was defeated 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (6) by Learner Tien, a fast-rising 19-year-old American. Norrie, who was attempting to triumph his first ATP title since February 2023, led 5-1 successful nan last group tie-break earlier losing 5 consecutive points. Although he saved 1 lucifer point, he was yet defeated successful a brutal, attritional brushwood filled pinch countless agelong rallies.

Despite nan achy defeat, 2025 has been a resurgent play for Norrie, who finishes nan twelvemonth classed No 27 aft falling retired of nan apical 90 successful May because of wounded and mediocre form. He will effort to emergence moreover further successful nan caller year.