"Elena Rybakina re-established herself as one of the significant players in women's tennis as she closed out a week of spectacular, devastating performances against the best players in the world by completely overpowering Aryna Sabalenka, the No 1, to capture one of the biggest titles of her career at the WTA Finals in Riyadh with a 6-3, 7-6 (0) win. Having finished the season-ending tournament unbeaten in her five matches, Rybakina is now $5.235m (3.98m) richer, earning the greatest prize money haul in the history of women's sports."
"A day after striking 15 aces in her semi-final win over Jessica Pegula, Rybakina reaffirmed her status as the best server in the world by making her service games impenetrable and putting so much pressure on Sabalenka to hold her own. The Kazakhstani took the first strike in many of the baseline exchanges, forcing herself inside the baseline and absolutely eviscerating the ball off both wings."
Elena Rybakina captured the WTA Finals title in Riyadh with a 6-3, 7-6 (0) win over Aryna Sabalenka. She finished the tournament unbeaten in five matches and earned $5.235m, the largest prize in women's sports history. The victory is Rybakina's fourth major title — following Wimbledon 2022, Indian Wells and the Italian Open — and her 11th WTA Tour title overall. Rybakina qualified after a late run of form in 2025 and has now won 11 consecutive matches. Rybakina dominated with powerful serving and aggressive baseline play that frequently left Sabalenka without time to set up her strokes.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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