Everyone expected World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to lift the WTA Finals trophy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but fate had other plans. In the end, it was No. 6 seed Elena Rybakina who claimed the win. On Saturday, Rybakina secured the biggest payday in women’s tennis history with a 6-3, 7-6(0) victory over Sabalenka. But what made the victory even more interesting was that Rybakina was playing through a right shoulder injury. Yet, she fought so much that even Sabalenka couldn’t stop praising her.

After the match, the emotions on court were real and raw. Aryna Sabalenka’s face was red, her eyes filled with tears, and for a moment, she couldn’t speak. Trying to hold it together, she said softly, “There are so many things… I’m getting old, really sensitive,” her voice cracking as she spoke. The crowd immediately cheered for her, not letting her stay sad, which only made her tear up again.

After taking a deep breath, Aryna Sabalenka finally found her courage to speak from the heart. “Today, especially, maybe… yeah, not the best performance, but you were definitely a better player today,” she said to Elena Rybakina. “You literally smashed me out of the court. Very, very well done. Happy to see you playing your best tennis, nice comeback at the end of the season. Now it’s time to enjoy our offseason and enjoy this beautiful trophy.” And Rybakina deserved every bit of that praise.

The Kazakhstani star claimed the biggest prize pot in women’s tennis of $5.23m and her biggest title since Wimbledon 2022 after an impressive straight-sets victory over the top seed. Rybakina defeated Sabalenka 6-3, 7-6(0) to capture her first WTA Finals crown.

Rybakina started strong, using her powerful serve and groundstrokes to break Aryna Sabalenka early and take the first set 6-3. The second set was far tighter, with Sabalenka fighting hard to turn things around, but Rybakina held firm and forced a tiebreak. From there, she was unstoppable, dominating the tiebreak 7-0.

Her serve was her biggest weapon: 13 aces, barely any break points faced, and a stunning 72.6% of total points won compared to Aryna Sabalenka’s 56.2%. What made it even more impressive was that she had been playing through a shoulder issue, making her victory all the more impressive. But while everything seemed perfect on court, an odd moment unfolded during the post-match photo session.

The mystery of Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka ’s post-match photo

 Aryna Sabalenka, despite the loss, has had a brilliant 2025 season. She won more titles than anyone else on the WTA Tour, including the US Open, as well as the Brisbane International, Miami Open, and Madrid Open. She also reached the finals at the Australian Open, Indian Wells, Stuttgart Open, and French Open, proving she remains one of the most consistent players on tour. She was dominant, so much so that even Rybakina had praise for her performance.

As Rybakina said,  “It’s been an incredible week, I honestly didn’t expect any results, and to go so far, it’s just incredible,” she said, referencing her battle with a shoulder injury throughout the tournament. She continued, “I want to congratulate Aryna for being number one for the second year in a row. It’s an amazing achievement. Today was such a tough battle, some moments I got lucky, but this is tennis. I hope we’re going to play many more finals together.”

Her words of respect seemed to close the chapter on the match, yet the post-match events told a different story.

As we know, after the match, the traditional photo session usually follows. Rybakina posed with runner-up Aryna Sabalenka. But something felt off when WTA CEO Portia Archer joined the frame, Rybakina stepped aside to the right, keeping her distance. Even the male official gestured for her to join the group, yet she raised a hand and remained apart.  The incident at the finals left questions unanswered. And Rybakina declined to comment during her post-match news conference.