Elena Rybakina produced a major upset by beating Aryna Sabalenka and winning her first WTA Finals.
Rybakina was not the favourite at the WTA Finals, and the star was one of the last players to qualify for the event.
She had to play deep into the WTA’s Asian leg to earn her place at the tournament and she made it count with an unbeaten display.
Rybakina picked up wins against Amanda Anisimova, Iga Swiatek, Ekaterina Alexandrova, and Jessica Pegula, before dispatching Sabalenka in the final.
Tim Henman points out Elena Rybakina’s ‘improvement’
Rybakina produced a near-perfect display to beat the world number one in straight sets to lift her first WTA Finals.
Tim Henman, who was watching on for Sky Sports, was incredibly impressed by what he saw from the star.
Speaking on air, Henman said: “There are very few people who are able to put Sabalenka on the back foot but I was very impressed when they got in these baseline exchanges, she was able to get low and covering the groundstrokes.
“When she had the opportunity she stepped and she absolutely crushed the ball. The forehand cross court has been her signature shot this week.
“She does not really worry about what her opponent is doing because she has so much power on it and if she hits it closer to the line there is nothing they can do. It really was a complete performance.”
Henman was particularly impressed with Rybakina’s resilience against Sabalenka and praised the star for her vast improvement.
“She looks like she is getting faster, in and out of the corners. But a lot of it is mental. You are really telling yourself I have to chase down that extra ball.
“It’s not necessarily a strength like Coco Gauff, but it’s an improvement because we know she has the weapons on the serve and the groundstrokes, so if she can continue to improve different areas and get a bit faster she is going to be tougher to beat.”
Elena Rybakina earns unique honour after winning the WTA Finals
The star’s form against top 10 players has been exceptional in 2025, but she also picked up another honour for beating Swiatek and Sabalenka at the WTA Finals.
Rybakina is the first player to beat Sabalenka and Swiatek in the same tournament on more than one occasion.
The star previously beat the two highest-ranked players on her way to winning Indian Wells back in 2023.
Rybakina’s win at the WTA Finals is her third tournament victory of the year, after the star also won titles in Strasbourg and Ningbo.
