Aryna Sabalenka smashed her racket and broke into tears after losing to Elena Rybakina in the WTA Finals singles final and missing out on the biggest single payday in women’s tennis history.
According to Independent, Rybakina won her biggest title since lifting Wimbledon in 2022 as the sixth seed produced a stunning performance to win 6-3 7-6 (7-0) against the World No 1 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Rybakina and Sabalenka both won all three of their round-robin matches to advance to the final undefeated, which meant a record prize of $5,235,000 (£3.98m) was on the line for the champion.
Despite being in control on serve throughout the second set, the 26-year-old was forced to saved two set points from Sabalenka to force the decider, where she won seven points in a row to win her biggest title in three years.
Sabalenka smashed her racket off the court before shaking hands with Rybakina at the net. The 27-year-old Belarusian then went off court to join her coaches, where she broke into tears.
The world No. 1 aid in the trophy ceremony, “I am getting old, I am getting really sensitive. So many things to be proud of. Not the best performance, she was definitely the better player. She literally smashed me out of the court."
Sabalenka, however, still set a new WTA record for season earnings. She won $2,695,000 for reaching the final in Riyadh with four wins, taking her prize money for the season to just over $15m.
According to the WTA, it takes Sabalenka’s season earnings well above previous record owned by Serena Williams in 2013, when she won $12,385,572.
