Aryna Sabalenka began her quest for a first WTA Finals title with a commanding 6-3, 6-1 victory over Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in her opening round-robin match in Riyadh, a crucial first step in her campaign to clinch the year-end world No. 1 ranking for the second consecutive season. After a season filled with the lows of losing two Grand Slams final to the high of finally winning one, Sabalenka’s year has been a ride. And through it all she’s retained her World No.1 crown, for a second year in a row, a testament to her continuous evolution and drive.

The top-seeded Belarusian, who headlines the Steffi Graf Group, showcased the powerful tennis that has kept her at the pinnacle of the sport for the last 54 weeks. Following this key win, Sabalenka took a moment to reflect on the significance of maintaining her position at the summit of women’s tennis, a goal that is within touching distance at the season-ending championship.

As reported by The Tennis Letter on X, Aryna Sabalenka opened up about the prospect of ending the year as the world’s top-ranked player after her defeat of Paolini at the WTA Finals in Riyadh. “That feels super special. I’m super happy and proud of the work that’s been done and that I’m getting better and better every day. I hope we’re gonna keep doing what we’re doing. Hopefully we can stay there,” she said.

This sentiment underscores a season of remarkable consistency and dominance for Sabalenka, who secured her fourth Grand Slam title at the US Open and has spent over a year atop the WTA rankings. Her comment about continuous improvement highlights a champion’s mindset, one that is never satisfied and is always focused on how to get better, even while being at the top.

Sabalenka’s presence in Riyadh is the culmination of a grueling and highly successful season. She locked in her second consecutive year-end World No. 1 finish with a stellar 2025 record, which includes four singles titles. Her journey to the WTA Finals was paved with deep runs at the sport’s biggest events; she reached the final of the Australian Open, the final of the French Open, the semifinals of Wimbledon, and captured the US Open crown, demonstrating her ability to perform on all surfaces.

Well, a WTA Finals trophy would be the perfect crown for her dominant season, and based on her own assessment, Sabalenka is focused on continuing the hard work to ensure she not only stays on top this week but for the foreseeable future. However, this particular feat also made her join an elite group of tennis legends.

Aryna Sabalenka is up in the big leagues

In the bright lights of Riyadh, Aryna Sabalenka stood proudly, the golden shine of her victory sparkling off the prestigious WTA year-end No. 1 trophy she held during a special presentation at the WTA Finals presented by PIF. With this achievement, she joined an exclusive group of just 12 players in history who have earned multiple year-end No. 1 titles.

The Belarusian is now part of an incredible group: Serena Williams, Monica Seles, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, and Ashleigh Barty. These legends have names that truly define eras. Sabalenka’s back-to-back dominance is the first we’ve seen since Barty’s in 2021, really showing that she’s the current heartbeat of the women’s game.

Looking back on her incredible year, Sabalenka shared, “This means a lot to me. We’ve put a lot of hard work in this year, and hard work pays off. Every final and every match was incredible. I’m super proud of the season and hopefully I can finish on a very good note here in Riyadh.”

It was such a special moment when she got her year-end No. 1 trophy from Mohamed AlSayyad, the PIF Head of Corporate Brand and Strategic Advisory Department. We’ll just have to wait and see if she can keep it up and snag that WTA Final title.