Rybakina Beats Sabalenka To Win WTA Finals

Kazakstan tennis player Elena Rybakina (Photo: Special)

JAKARTA - Elena Rybakina extended her winning streak to 11 consecutive times with a victory over Aryna Sabalenka 63, 76(0) to win the WTA Finals title in Riyadh, Saturday, November 8 evening local time or Sunday WIB.

"I'm trying to stay focused," Rybakina said as quoted by ANTARA, Sunday, November 9.

"And I thought even at the tiebreak, only when I heard the game, set, match, I realized that, yes, the game was over, because I had also experienced, being in a superior position during the tie-breaking and losing. So, to be honest, I'm just really focused. "

Rybakina's victory closed the season with three titles, including Strasbourg and Ningbo, and made her the 10th tennis player to win the WTA Finals for the first time in 10 years.

He finished second on the tour for the title, only behind Sabalenka with four titles, and drew with Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula with three titles.

Rybakina ended the year with 58-19, his best win/loss record to date. The victory also narrowed his rivalry with Sabalenka to 8'6, with three of them winning in the final -- Indian Wells 2023, Brisbane 2024, and Riyadh 2025.

In the second set, Sabalenka saved two break points in the third game and two at 4-4 to keep the position balanced.

However, his resistance weakened at the tiebreak, a surprise for players who have won a record 22 break points this season, the most in the modern tennis era or Open.

For the first time in his career, Sabalenka lost 0-7 at the tiebreak, when Rybakina closed the game -- and this season -- in the straight set.

The final lasted for an hour 47 minutes, with Rybakina scoring 13 ace and converting one of six break point chances, the only break point in the game.

Sabalenka created five chances, but failed to take advantage of them.

"He played amazingly. I feel like I did my best today," said Sabalenka.

"It didn't work, but I think there are many things that I should be proud of. And yes, I left this tournament without disappointment. I left this tournament with a sense of pride in myself and the things we have achieved," he continued.

Sabalenka menutup tahun 2025 dengan empat gelar dan 63 kemenangan pertandingan, termasuk US Open dan dua trofi WTA 1000, dan akan mengakhiri tahun sebagai petenis No.1 untuk musim kedua berturut-turut -- hanya tujuh petenis putri yang memegang posisi teratas dalam dua tahun kalender berturut-turut.

Ia juga meraih 15 kemenangan atas Top 10, terbanyak di antara semua petenis musim ini. Sementara, Rybakina akan mengakhiri musim di peringkat ke-5, tertinggi dalam kariernya.

Sabalenka closed 2025 with four titles and 63 matches, including the US Open and two WTA 1000 trophies, and will end the year as the No.1 for the second season in a row -- only seven women's players hold the top spot in two consecutive calendar years.

He also won 15 wins over Top 10, the most of all players this season. Meanwhile, Rybakina will end the season in 5th place, the highest in his career.