WTA Finals Ultimate Showdown: Sabalenka and Rybakina Compete for a $5.235 Million Prize

At the year-end climax of women's tennis—the WTA Finals—world number one Sabalenka will face off against the powerful server Rybakina this Saturday in the final battle. This match is not only about the championship title but also involves a total prize pool of $5.235 million, the highest in tennis this year, even surpassing the Grand Slam winners' prizes.

The route to the final has been a battle of elites. Sabalenka staged a high-quality power duel against Azarenka in the semifinals, narrowly winning 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the WTA Finals final for the first time in her career.

“She always pushes me to bring out my best,” Sabalenka admitted after the match. “Even if I lost, I would have no regrets because we delivered an incredible match, and both deserved to be in the final.” This encounter was also praised as one of the most exciting matches on the WTA Tour this year.

On the other side,Rybakinaadvanced by relying on her signature powerful serve. In the semifinals, she came back from behind to defeatPegula4-6, 6-4, 6-3, repeatedly saving crucial points with her serve. “Serving is my greatest weapon, and today it worked again,” Rybakina said. “Even though my opponent played well under pressure, I could always rely on my serve when it mattered most.”

Notably, the prize distribution for this WTA Finals is very attractive. Each participant is guaranteed a $340,000 appearance fee; every round-robin match win awards $355,000; semifinal victory brings $1.29 million; and the champion takes home $2.54 million. Since both Sabalenka and Rybakina have won all four of their previous matches, they have each secured $2.695 million so far. Winning the final would push their total earnings to $5.235 million.

This amount far exceeds the $5 million Sabalenka earned when she won the US Open this year. If she claims the title here, her total prize money for 2025 will surpass $17 million. For Rybakina, who has struggled with injuries and earned only $3.195 million this year, winning would more than double her annual earnings, making her the second woman in tennis history to surpass $10 million in yearly prize money.

At midnight tonight, the two players will give their all on the Riyadh court, competing for a trophy that symbolizes both prestige and substantial rewards.

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