For a player who only just squeezed into the WTA Finals, Elena Rybakina ended the season like someone who had been circling Riyadh on her calendar since January. She arrived late to the party, but once inside, she rearranged the furniture.
The Moscow-born Kazakh, who needed a razor-sharp Asian swing to edge Mirra Andreeva out of the top eight, never looked like an interloper. She swept through her group without a blemish, dismissing Amanda Anisimova, Iga Swiatek and Ekaterina Alexandrova with the sort of icy precision that can silence an indoor arena. Jessica Pegula threw everything at her in the semis; Rybakina simply absorbed it and walked through the door to a final showdown with Aryna Sabalenka.
There, she produced her cleanest performance of the week — a cool demolition of the four-time Slam champion to claim her first WTA Finals crown, the biggest title of her career outside that Wimbledon afternoon in 2022. The victory came with a rather eye-watering accessory: an unprecedented $5.235 million cheque. No player, woman or man, has ever taken home more from a single tennis event.
Finding Rhythm Through the Noise
Speaking to Kazakhstan-based Tengri News and Anton Alekseyev (Антон Алексеев), Rybakina allowed herself a rare glance back at a year that swung from disrupted preparation to season-ending dominance.
“Before the start of the season the preparation was different from before. And we also had changes in the team. That takes time — to get used to a person, to understand them. There were various moments,” she admitted.
But the rhythm eventually came.
“In the end, after playing a large number of matches, we managed to find our rhythm and work on it, even though there were so many tournaments. I’m very happy that my season turned out this good. Toward the end I was already thinking about how to rest. You’re tired, but you’re with the team.”
The gratitude was unmistakable.
“I’m also very thankful to them — we didn’t have that much time. While playing tournaments, we were still able to fix certain things in my game. And everything came together at the end of the season. Plus, I really felt the support of the Kazakh fans; of course that gave me strength. I’m incredibly grateful to them as well.”
A Prize Money Boom, and What Comes Next
Her record-breaking winnings — the largest single payout in tennis history — sparked fierce debate. Was it fair that five matches in Riyadh paid more than a two-week gauntlet at Wimbledon?
Rybakina was firm.
“How fair is it? I think we’re aiming for more tournaments to increase their prize funds. So I think it’s a matter of time. In a couple of years I’m sure other tournaments will catch up.”
She recognised her own record not as an outlier but as part of a wider shift.
“Of course the prize money is very big, and I’m incredibly happy that I achieved this result. The way the previous generation fought for prize money to rise — now it’s starting to bear fruit. Everything is moving in the same direction, and going forward it will be more stable. Maybe not in a year or two, but in the future — one hundred percent.”
A Proverb, a Storm, and a Calm Response
After the final, Sabalenka’s frustration spilled out in a line that reverberated around social media: “Once a year, even a stick shoots.” A Russian proverb implying that someone who doesn’t usually succeed occasionally gets lucky.
Rybakina took the heat out of it instantly.
“I was told about it after the match, but it was in context. We’ve played each other many times, more than once this year, so I don’t focus too much on it. I have good feelings toward Aryna and her team, so I don’t take it to heart, even if it really was directed at me.”
Trophy Kisses and a Porsche Put to Use
She also addressed her now-familiar trophy-kiss photos, insisting there’s no masterplan behind them.
“I don’t even know — it just happens. Whenever you take photos with the trophy, they ask you to ‘kiss the trophy’, and then those pictures appear. I posted a few of them and realised maybe I should leave the first ones and then just post other photos with the trophy or my team. It just happened naturally. I didn’t think much about it.”
One of those famous photos came with her Stuttgart title — and with it a Porsche Taycan Turbo S Sport Turismo. She had no licence at the time. Now?
“No, I didn’t sell it,” she laughed. “I’m driving it. I’ve started preparation training, and I’m in Dubai, so I use this car for all my trips.”
A Little Sugar, Some Sleep, and a Quiet Reset
Asked whether she let herself celebrate properly once the season was over, Rybakina didn’t hide it.
“As for indulging — that’s one hundred percent! Naturally, when I’m playing tournaments I have a diet: the main thing is less sugar, ideally none at all. As soon as I finished the season, of course there were pastries, and I was given a beautiful cake with the WTA logo. I celebrated well.”
The first days were slower, softer.
“I mostly caught up on sleep — I allowed myself to do nothing and fully relax for a few days. I also went to a concert recently. I didn’t do anything massive or something completely new.”
What Riyadh Really Means
The WTA Finals can flatten the weary. Instead, they revealed a version of Elena Rybakina who looked settled, sharp, and quietly dangerous — a champion who brushed off pressure, proverbs, and even a historic payday with the same smooth authority she brings to the baseline.
If this is how she finishes a messy season, the field might not enjoy what she looks like after a clean one.