Elena Rybakina Defeats Aryna Sabalenka to Win Historic £4m Prize
Elena Rybakina earned her 45th hard-court win of 2025
Elena Rybakina won the greatest payday in women's tennis all time by beating world number one Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets at the championship.
Rybakina produced a brilliant display to defeat four-time major winner her opponent in two sets in the host country.
Since each competitor advanced through the tournament undefeated, the prize money on the table was a record-breaking £3.98m – the biggest payout offering in women's tennis history.
This amount exceeds the £3.74 million Sabalenka won for winning September's New York major, which was the highest-paying Grand Slam in the current year.
"This has been an incredible week," stated Rybakina.
"I honestly didn't expect any result so to reach the final was just remarkable."
"I want to say congratulations to Sabalenka for holding the top spot for a second year in a row, it's an tremendous accomplishment."
Rybakina, who was the world number six, hit sixteen winners during a commanding first-set display.
The 2022 Wimbledon winner saved two chances before winning every point in the sixth game of the set to go a break up and held her serve to seal the opening set.
With the second set on serve, Sabalenka defended another two opportunities at 4-4 to shift the balance in her favour.
However, after fighting back to disrupt her opponent's flow, Sabalenka failed to capitalize by wasting two set points in the next game to level the second set at five-all.
Sabalenka's failure to force a decider affected her tie-break play, with the Kazakh taking all seven points to take home the title.
This win, her sixth triumph over Sabalenka, means Rybakina will rise one place in the WTA rankings to number five in the world.
A distraught Sabalenka appeared to be in tears as she sat with her coaching team shortly after the final.
"That was not the best performance from me in this match but Elena you were certainly the superior player," Sabalenka told the crowd.
"You literally smashed me on court. I'm pleased to see you play your best tennis. Enjoy this stunning trophy."