Impressive! Year-end champion Rybakina refuses to take a photo with the WTA CEO

The spotlight on the champion’s podium should have been a moment of shared celebration. However, when the WTA CEO stood smiling beside runner-up Sabalenka, waiting for champion Rybakina to join for a photo, an unexpected awkward moment unfolded. Rybakina resolutely declined to approach the official, leaving the top WTA executive facing the uncomfortable camera alone.

Just minutes earlier, Rybakina had achieved another milestone in her career. She defeated world No.1 Sabalenka 6-3, 7-6(0), saving two set points in the second set and delivering a stunning shutout in the tiebreak. This victory crowned her the new WTA Finals champion, extended her winning streak to 11 matches this season, and brought her back into the world’s top five, all pointing to a perfect championship story.

But Rybakina remembers that in April this year, her coach Vukov was suddenly suspended by the WTA; she recalls how complicated political factors interfered with pure sports; she feels the helplessness faced as a player from Kazakhstan confronting unfair treatment.

“Rybakina was definitely the better player today!” Sabalenka’s tearful admission during the award ceremony still echoed inside the arena, while the champion’s actions made it clear to everyone that victory is important, but dignity surpasses winning or losing.

This was no impulsive act. Even when event staff tried to mediate, Rybakina stood firm until the CEO left, only then returning to Sabalenka to complete the champions’ photo. This sequence clearly drew a line: she respects her opponent and the competition but refuses to respect those she believes have compromised the purity of sport.

Rybakina’s triumph continues the so-called curse of the China season, with the last three WTA Finals champions all claiming their titles during the China swing. From Swiatek’s 2023 Beijing victory, to Gauff’s 2024 win at the same event, and now Rybakina’s 2025 “comeback” in Ningbo, this “China season champion → year-end Finals winner” pattern seems to have become a new WTA tradition. Yet, as politics and sports become increasingly intertwined, these purely athletic patterns are overshadowed by more complex realities.

Rybakina’s protest recalls famous moments in sports history, such as the silent protests of Black athletes at the 1968 Olympics and tennis stars speaking out for equal rights. Today, amid waves of commercialization and politicization, athletes’ individual voices are often drowned out, but some still choose to use their peak moments to remind the world that sport should never be sacrificed to non-sporting agendas.

The WTA faces more than just an awkward moment on the podium; it confronts a fundamental challenge: how can sports organizations maintain the purity of competition while navigating a complex international political landscape? How should disputes beyond the realm of sports be handled?

Rybakina, the fighter who went from a mere 13.8% chance to qualify for the year-end Finals to winning all five matches and claiming the title, earned the right to protest with her racket and spoke volumes with her silence. At that moment, she was not only a champion but also an athlete standing firmly by her principles.

The tournament ended, but the ripple effects remain. As Rybakina lifted the trophy and the champion photo circulated worldwide without the CEO, she left the tennis world not only a brilliant victory but also a profound question about dignity, principles, and the spirit of sport. Amid applause and controversy, one question remains unresolved: In today’s professional tennis, can a champion’s racket shake the power games that extend beyond the baseline?(Source: Tennis Home Author: Mei)