In a showdown between two of the WTA Tour’s most explosive players, the final in Riyadh promised fireworks – and it certainly delivered. Sabalenka and Rybakina traded blows continuously from the baseline, using their huge serves and powerful groundstrokes to produce a spectacular display.
A match with fine margins was separated by a single break of serve and a tiebreak as the impeccable Rybakina sealed a 6-3 7-6 (7-0) victory to clinch the biggest title of her season. The Kazakh sixth seed also secured the maximum prize money – the largest check in women’s tennis – and the maximum 1,500 PIF WTA Ranking points.
It marks a remarkable end to the season for Rybakina, who was the last player to qualify and needed a late-season surge during the Asian swing to punch her ticket. Winning the title is a huge improvement on her previous WTA Finals record, as she never progressed beyond the group stage in her previous two appearances.
Rybakina also made history as the first player representing Kazakhstan – or any Asian country – to win the WTA Finals.
Rybakina, 26, said: “It feels great to lift the trophy and there was an incredible atmosphere. I really enjoyed my time here last year and again this year. We are treated really well and again, the fans are great. So it’s great to lift this trophy here and hopefully I can come back next year.”
Despite defeat in the final, top seed Sabalenka focused on the positives after another successful season that included a fourth major title – at the US Open – and ending the year with the WTA Year-End No.1 Ranking presented by PIF.
Sabalenka, 27, said: “She played incredibly. I feel like I did my best today. It didn’t work, but I think there are so many things I can be proud of. I leave this tournament without any disappointment and am proud of myself and the things I was able to achieve.”
Before the two superstars took to the court to contest the singles trophy, the doubles final set the stage for an exciting day in Riyadh.
And it was the fourth placed couple Veronika Kudermetova And Elise Mertens who claimed victory by defeating seventh seeds Timea Babos And Luisa Stefani 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 for their second WTA Finals doubles title.
Adwa AlArifi, Assistant Minister of Sports Affairs at the Ministry of Sports, presented the winners’ trophies to Kudermetova and Mertens, and to the 2025 singles champion Rybakina.
Mertens, 29, said: “Every title is a little bit different, but we’ve done so well all year, so I’m really happy we could continue. After winning the Wimbledon title, we wanted to play the final together again. We only got together halfway through the season, but our level and consistency were there.”
The second edition of the WTA Finals Riyadh concluded with an unforgettable final day – part of a three-year partnership between the WTA and the Saudi Tennis Federation (STF).
Its debut in 2024 made history as the first-ever professional women’s tennis tournament to be held in Saudi Arabia, and as the chapter closes in year two, the progress of tennis in the kingdom continues to gain momentum.
The STF outlined ambitions to inspire more people to play, watch and get involved in tennis, with high-profile events such as the WTA Finals part of the wider strategy.
That ambition is already translating into tangible progress in Saudi Arabia’s tennis ecosystem female participation increases by 24% since the WTA Finals debuted in Riyadh twelve months ago.
Meanwhile, community initiatives such as the ‘Tennis for All’ programme, in partnership with ‘Sports for All’, will have introduced the sport to more than 53,000 children by 2025 alone. Tremendous progress has also been made at the elite level; Saudi Arabia now has 79 internationally ranked players, while the women’s national team has competed in the Billie Jean King Cup since 2023.
From packed arenas and passionate fans to young players picking up a racket for the first time, the journey of tennis in the Kingdom is just beginning. All roads now lead to Riyadh 2026, where the world’s best players will once again come together to crown the ultimate champions of the season.
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