A stunning straight-sets defeat to Elena Rybakina in the championship match of the 2025 WTA Finals ended world no. 1 Aryna Sabalenka’s season. In a match where Rybakina was simply better, serving 13 aces and saving all five break points against her to claim the title, Sabalenka was left staring ahead in a stunned silence. Yet, from that immediate disappointment emerged a monumental achievement.

As reported by TNT Sports on X, the runner-up prize money of $2.695 million she earned in Riyadh propelled Sabalenka’s total season earnings to a record $15,008,519. This staggering figure shattered a benchmark once thought to be untouchable, finally surpassing the single-season prize money record set by Serena Williams over a decade prior. The record Aryna Sabalenka toppled was set during what was arguably one of the most dominant seasons in tennis history.

In 2013, Serena Williams compiled an awe-inspiring 78-4 match record, clinching 11 titles. Her season was capped by a gutsy three-set victory over Li Na to successfully defend her WTA Championships title, a win that brought her annual prize money to a then-record $12,385,572. At 32, Williams was the oldest woman ever to hold the No. 1 ranking and the first player since Martina Hingis in 1997 to win 11 titles in a single season.

Despite this nearly flawless performance, Williams herself downplayed it as her best year, telling reporters, “I live to win Slams. I am excited to win the WTA Championships, but I would say (this season is) only top three. I am not going to say that this is the best. I think some years I can do better and next year, I hope — I look forward to it.”

While the record-breaking payday highlights the modern growth in tennis’s financial rewards, it also serves as a testament to Sabalenka’s remarkable consistency and excellence throughout the 2025 season. Her journey to the record was built on a foundation of incredible performance; she finishes the year with the most match-wins (63) and more ranking points (10,870) than any other player, having held the World No. 1 ranking wire-to-wire.

This constant presence at the deepest stages of the most prestigious tournaments accumulated the earnings that made the new record possible. However, the WTA Finals were certainly shrouded by controversy because of a statement that the Belarusian made.

Aryna Sabalenka was completely frustrated

Aryna Sabalenka really put up a fight against Elena Rybakina, but in the end, the score ended up being 6-3, 7-6(0) in Riyadh. This might be a repeat of what happened to the Belarusian at the Australian Open and the French Open, where she ended up losing in both finals. Clearly feeling a lot, Sabalenka’s words after the match showed she was a fighter who might be bruised but definitely not broken. Once the last point slipped away, Sabalenka made her way to her chair, moving slowly with heavy shoulders and hollow eyes.

For a warrior who’s spent her time on the brink of greatness, this kind of loss really hits hard. The four-time Grand Slam champion took a seat, her feelings pouring out like cracks in her armor. “Once a year even the stick shoots,” the Belarusian was heard murmuring the Russian proverb on live TV, and it just showed her frustration.

Sabalenka and Rybakina were going head-to-head, not just for that impressive $5.23 million winner’s purse, but also for the full 1,500 ranking points that come with a perfect performance at the WTA Finals. Rybakina, with her impressive skill and confidence, had an amazing week, going undefeated and taking down Sabalenka to win her first WTA Finals title. So, this win didn’t really change the head-to-head between them. Sabalenka still holds the lead in their rivalry with 8 wins to 6 after they’ve played 14 matches. Of all things, the Belarusian had to endure that crushing loss in the WTA Finals.