Rybakina Wins WTA Finals Over Sabalenka

Elena Rybakina claimed her first WTA Finals title on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 7-6 (7-0) in a straight-sets final that capped an undefeated run through the tournament. The 26-year-old Kazakhstani player saved all five break points she faced and fired 13 aces, dominating from the baseline with 36 winners to Sabalenka's 12 while winning 73 percent of her second-serve points.

Rybakina's victory, her 11th WTA singles title and first at the season-ending championship, highlighted her growing prowess against top competition. She dispatched Amanda Anisimova, Iga Swiatek, Ekaterina Alexandrova, and Jessica Pegula earlier in the week, extending her head-to-head edge over Sabalenka to 6-8 while holding advantages against Swiatek (6-5) and Coco Gauff (1-0). The win earned Rybakina a record $5.235 million, the largest single prize in women's tennis history. Her performance marked a significant turnaround from earlier in the year, when her first-serve win percentage hovered around 66 percent in February and March. By season's end, she led the tour with 516 aces and maintained elite serving efficiency, converting 72 percent of first-serve...