RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — World No. 5 Elena Rybakina capped her season by defeating No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka for the second time this season. On Wednesday, the 2022 Wimbledon champion cruised to a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 victory in the final Purple Group match at the WTA Riyadh Finals presented by PIF.
WTA Finals Riyadh: Results | Schedule | Positions
Rybakina ends her campaign in Riyadh with a 1-2 record. Sabalenka, already confirmed as the group winner, will advance to Friday’s semifinals to face the number 2 in the classification from the Orange Group.
“I think I served very well today, and especially in the third set,” Rybakina said. “So I’m pretty happy that it’s improved, and I think maybe I’ve moved a little bit better.
“But of course, overall, I know I’m not at my best, and if I had had more weeks and a few more matches, but with all the circumstances, I’m very happy overall with how I’ve played this tournament.”
Rybakina came into Wednesday’s match as the clear underdog. Heading into Riyadh, she had played just three matches since Wimbledon and the WTA Finals would be her first tournament since withdrawing from the US Open due to a back injury. Sabalenka maintained a commanding lead in their prolific head-to-head contest, winning six of their nine meetings.
But there was reason to believe Rybakina could trouble Sabalenka, who was coming off a seven-match winning streak, beginning with her title run at the Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open last month. Rybakina opened her breakout 2024 campaign by dominating Sabalenka in the final of the Brisbane International in January, winning 6-0, 6-3. A few months later, on the fast clay court of Madrid, Rybakina pushed Sabalenka to the limit in a thrilling semi-final match, which Sabalenka won 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5).
Facing Sabalenka for the 10th time and seeking her first win at this year’s WTA Finals, Rybakina played a disciplined match from the baseline to claim her second victory over a reigning World No. 1 this year. She outscored Sabalenka with 10 winners to six in the first set before Sabalenka responded with a remarkably clean second set. Showing her champion mettle, Sabalenka hit 15 winners to just five unforced errors in the second set to take the match to a deciding set.
Rybakina raced to a 4-1 lead and did not face a break point in the final set. She was perfect on her first serve, winning all 12 points when she landed her first shot, and easily took the win. Victory will net Rybakina 200 PIF WTA Ranking points and $350,000 in prize money.
“Well, honestly, this is something I have to learn,” Sabalenka said, “how to stay motivated and hungry and be 100% in these types of matches when you know you’re already in the semi-finals and the only motivation for you is the points.” and the money. But that was complicated.
“And you see someone on the other side, and especially with such a high-level player who has nothing to lose, and she was just going for her shots and everything was going in. I would say that emotionally, in the first set, “It was a little off, not a little… it was really off, and that’s something I have to fix before the semi-finals.”
