Rybakina Upsets Aryna Sabalenka to Claim Record £4m Reward
Rybakina sealed her forty-fifth hard-court triumph of 2025
Elena Rybakina claimed the greatest reward in women's tennis history by defeating top-ranked Sabalenka in two sets at the championship.
The 26-year-old produced a stunning display to overcome four-times Grand Slam champion Sabalenka in two sets in Saudi Arabia.
Since each competitor advanced through the tournament without a loss, the purse on the table was a unprecedented £3.98m – the highest prize offering in women's tennis the sport's history.
The prize money exceeds the £3.74m the Belarusian received for claiming September's US Open, which was the most lucrative Grand Slam in the current year.
"It's been an fantastic tournament," commented the Kazakh player.
"I honestly couldn't have predicted any result so to reach the final was just incredible."
"I want to say congratulations to Sabalenka for being number one for a second year running, it's an incredible achievement."
Rybakina, who was the world number six, hit 16 winners during a dominant opening set display.
The 2022 Wimbledon winner fended off a couple of chances before winning all four points in the sixth game of the set to go a break up and served out to win the first set.
As the second set progressed, the world number one defended two opportunities at 4-4 to shift the balance in her favor.
However, having worked so hard to upset Rybakina's rhythm, the top seed let her opponent off the hook by squandering two set points in the next game to level the set at 5-5.
Sabalenka's failure to force a decider affected her tie-break performance, with the Kazakh winning every point to claim the title.
This win, her sixth triumph over her rival, means she will rise one spot in the rankings to fifth in the world rankings.
An emotional the runner-up appeared to be in tears as she met with her coaching team soon after the final.
"It was not the best performance from me today but Elena you were certainly the superior competitor," Sabalenka addressed the audience.
"You literally overpowered me out of the court. I'm happy to see you at your peak. Celebrate this stunning trophy."
