Elena Rybakina capped off an excellent end to the 2025 season by winning the WTA Finals on Saturday.
In the final, Rybakina proved too strong for world number one Aryna Sabalenka, winning their contest 6-3, 7-6.
Rybakina became the first Kazakhstani player to win the WTA Finals and now has a remarkable 8-6 record against world number ones.
After winning her biggest title since the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, Rybakina has risen to world number five.
Rybakina was seeded sixth in Riyadh, and she has continued a rather strange trend following her victory against Sabalenka.
Five of the last eight WTA Finals champions have been the number six seed
The number six seed has been something of a lucky charm at recent WTA Finals events.
Remarkably, five of the last eight champions have been seeded sixth heading into the tournament.
In 2017, Caroline Wozniacki won the title while seeded sixth, defeating Venus Williams in the final.
In 2018, sixth-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina defeated fifth-seeded Sloane Stephens 3–6, 6–2, 6–2 to win her maiden WTA Finals.
Three years later [the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic], Garbine Muguruza, also seeded sixth, defeated eighth seed Anna Kontaveit to win the title.
In 2022, sixth-seeded Caroline Garcia – who has recently retired from the sport – won the title after beating Aryna Sabalenka – the seventh seed – in the final.
Rybakina has joined the list of sixth-seeded champions following her success on Saturday.
| Year | Champion | Seed |
| 2017 | Caroline Wozniacki | 6 |
| 2018 | Elina Svitolina | 6 |
| 2019 | Ashleigh Barty | 1 |
| 2021 | Garbine Muguruza | 6 |
| 2022 | Carolina Garcia | 6 |
| 2023 | Iga Swiatek | 2 |
| 2024 | Coco Gauff | 3 |
| 2025 | Elena Rybakina | 6 |
Before 2017, the most recent sixth-seeded WTA Finals champion was Maria Sharapova, who won the title in 2006.
Rick Macci says Rybakina’s serve is ‘the best in the sport’
Rick Macci, the former coach of the Williams sisters and Maria Sharapova, has weighed in on Rybakina’s title-winning run.
The iconic coach, who has also worked with Andy Roddick, noted Rybakina’s rock-solid state of mind throughout the tournament in Riyadh.
On X [Twitter], Macci said: “Rybakina mentally was rock solid every match. She never blinked and checked out.
“Unreal ball striking with juice like she has never delivered. Her serve is the best in the sport with firepower, accuracy, and most of all at crunch time.”
Tim Henman was also impressed by Rybakina, highlighting her cross-court forehand as a particularly potent shot.
