Elena Rybakina is queen of the WTA Finals Riyadh

Rybakina went 5-0 in the tournament, only dropping one set to Iga Swiatek (though she rebounded to only lose one game the following two sets). In the semifinals, she outlasted Jessica Pegula in three sets before putting on a brilliant display against Sabalenka. She hit 36 winners to the Belarussian’s 12 and aced the top seed thirteen times. Sabalenka had won a record 22 tiebreaks in 2025 and she was able to shut out to claim the victory on her first match point.

Ending the year on an 11-match winning streak and finishing with a 58-19 record for 2025, Rybakina also took home a record $5.23 million check for her week. Not only did she become the first player representing Kazakhstan (and any Asian nation) to win the WTA Finals, she also was the first player since Tracy Austin in 1979-80 to defeat the World No. 1 in consecutive year-end championships.

The finish Rybakina produced was certainly one many fans knew she could create, but not necessarily expect. This season saw the former Wimbledon champion fail to reach a quarterfinal at a Grand Slam, go through coaching changes (alongside a suspension for her former/current coach and alleged boyfriend Stefano Vukov) and having to rally to win the WTA 500 in Ningbo and reach the semifinals in Tokyo in the two weeks leading up to the Finals just to qualify. Something to also note is that Rybakina refused to pose with WTA CEO Portia Archer, who helped spearhead Vukov’s investigation and subsequent suspension.

For Sabalenka, it was another case of a brilliant run just short of the title. Still, she spent the entire 2025 season ranked No. 1 and had a season that included three Grand Slam finals, another semifinal, 63 total victories and four titles highlighted by her U.S. Open triumph. Her season also produced 15 Top 10 victories, which was the most for any player this year. While she will be proud of a second-consecutive year-end No. 1, it’s safe to say there were a few “shoulda, coulda, woulda” opportunities she would like to take back. Still, while she has yet to claim the WTA’s crown jewel, she’s the one to beat.

In doubles, Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens claimed their second WTA Finals title as a duo, downing surprising finalists Timea Babos and Luisa Stefani in straight sets. Kudermetova and Mertens reunited in April after not playing since their 2022 WTA Finals triumph in Fort Worth and their Riyadh win was their second title of the year following their win at Wimbledon. Based on speeches, they plan on continuing their partnership into 2026, while Babos shared that next year will likely be her final season and she won’t be playing the full calendar:

While the year-end rankings are set in stone, we already gear ahead to 2026. But first, on to links!

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This Week in Women’s Tennis

Many WTA Legends including Tournament Director Garbine Muguruza spent the week in Riyadh giving back to the community with various panels and clinics.

Venus Williams will take part in her 33rd season as a professional, kicking off at the ASB Classic in Auckland in January. It’s safe to say an Australian Open wildcard is all but secured?

Hendrik Vleeshouwers, coach of Amanda Anisimova, discusses how the American guided the best season of her career and became one of the players to watch for potential Grand Slam glory in 2026.

With 11 Grand Slam titles and five year-end No. 1 rankings, Katerina Siniakova has quietly built quite the Hall of Fame career.

Gaby Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe have announced their professional split as a doubles duo following a successful two and a half year partnership:

Hsieh Su-Wei and Jelena Ostapenko might be on opposite ends when it comes to their personalities on court, but for some reason it just works.

Naomi Osaka reflected on her season and how pregnancy and motherhood has shifted her insight and value as an athlete.

Caroline Wozniacki spoke to Danish media and all but said she’s unlikely to return to the court following the birth of her third child.

Same, Serena:

Monastir, Tunisia is a hot destination for players to stay for weeks (or longer) at a time on the ITF World Tour but the upgrades are coming for bigger fields.

AI is continuing to make waves in the tennis world and I’m .2 seconds from giving my savings to make me a better player.

Lululemon, my favorite tennis-specific retailer, is the new outfitter for the BNP Paribas Open, replacing FILA after a 25-year partnership.

Tweet of the Week

Congrats to Ons Jabeur, who after years of expressing wanting to be a mom, shared that she’s expecting her first child:

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Five at The IX: WTA Finals

“Well it gives a lot of motivation, and hopefully I get some good rest and I can keep this mentality and bring it to the next season…and yeah, hopefully we can improve even more and start strong. And I’m really glad that that was pretty stable throughout the whole tournament.” – Elena Rybakina

“I feel like I did my best today. It didn’t work, but I think so many things I have to be proud of. And yeah, I’m leaving this tournament without any disappointment. I leave with this tournament being proud of myself and the things that we’ve been able to achieve.” – Aryna Sabalenka

“It was an amazing atmosphere….Not only today, but throughout the week, the two weeks, it’s been amazing to be back here, and especially with Veronika on my side this year. I’m very happy about that, so thank you and also thank you to everyone who made this tournament possible.” – Elise Mertens

“I’m so happy that we are together on one side. I hope that we can continue to play like that. Also, I would like to say thank you to our team. Sometimes they help us, sometimes no, but they’re always here with us, so thank you.’ – Veronika Kudermetova

“I’m very thankful for you and everything we have achieved…Thank you so much for sharing this amazing moment, and…unfortunately, it looks like we’re not going to continue, but not because we don’t match. It’s because I don’t think I will play a full season next year. Yeah, (Luisa’s) like, ‘How does it feel to say it out loud?’ Well, I’m kind of crying so…I don’t know if it’s good or bad to finish without a trophy, but as you said, I collected three of these already, so I’m just very happy to get to another final here.” – Timea Babos