RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Elena Rybakina defeated No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 7-6 (0) to win the WTA Finals on Saturday.
Rybakina, ranked No. 6, made eight aces on Riyadh’s indoor hard courts and earned the only break of the match.
It was the second loss for Grand Slam champion Sabalenka in the season finale after losing to Caroline Garcia in the 2022 title match.
Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion from Kazakhstan, was playing her first title match in her third consecutive WTA Finals appearance.
She went 5-0 in the top-eight women’s event and raised $5.23 million. According to the WTA, this is the highest amount in women’s sports history. Sabalenka was the runner-up and earned $2.7 million.
Sabalenka entered the match this year with an 8-5 lead over her opponents and a 22-2 record in tiebreakers.
Rybakina recorded her tour-best 45th win on hard court this season. The 26-year-old became the first winner of the WTA Finals for the 10th consecutive year.
