World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka may have finished her 2025 season as the runner-up at the WTA Finals, but she secured a historic consolation prize: the new record for the most prize money earned by a player in a single WTA season.
Despite a straight-sets defeat to Elena Rybakina in the season finale, Sabalenka’s incredible run in Riyadh, combined with her strong season overall, pushed her total on-court earnings to just over $15 million ($15,008,519). This figure officially shatters the previous benchmark set by Serena Williams in 2013.
Smashes 12-Year-Old Williams Record
The Belarusian star eclipsed the long-standing record of $12,385,572 earned by Serena Williams over a decade ago. Sabalenka’s season was defined by deep runs at the biggest and most important tournaments on the tour:
- US Open Champion: Her biggest single payday came from winning the US Open title, getting a $5 million check.
- Major Finals: She also finished as the runner-up at both the Australian Open and Roland Garros, adding over $2.5 million combined.
- WTA Finals Run: Her finalist showing at the year-end championships in Riyadh, which featured a record purse, netted her nearly $2.7 million.
Sabalenka ends the year with a remarkable 63 match wins, the year-end No. 1 ranking and another Grand Slam title, capping off what she called a season with “so many things to be proud of.”
Watch below when Sabalenka won the 2025 US Open:
Climbing the All-Time Earnings List
The monumental 2025 season has also gotten the 27-year-old up the all-time career prize money standings. With a career total now exceeding $45 million, Sabalenka moves into the No. 2 position, surpassing her closest rival, Iga Swiatek ($43.6 million) and legend Venus Williams.
While a significant gap remains to Serena Williams all-time record of nearly $95 million, Sabalenka’s achievement shows the financial success and growth of the modern WTA Tour, which awarded a record-breaking total of $249 million in prize money this year.
“I just really have a lot of love for the sport, and I really enjoy fighting. I really enjoy, like, pushing myself to the limit,” Sabalenka commented on her motivation, adding that the high earnings are, of course, a “good check to have.”
The WTA Finals champion, Elena Rybakina, also shared in the historic prize money pool, taking home a record $5.235 million for her undefeated run to the title.
