RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — World No.5 Elena Rybakina capped off her season by defeating No.1 Aryna Sabalenka for the second time this season. On Wednesday, the 2022 Wimbledon champion notched a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 win in the final match of the Purple Group at the WTA Finals Riyadh presented by PIF. 

WTA Finals Riyadh: Scores | Schedule | Standings

Rybakina finishes her Riyadh campaign with a 1-2 record. Sabalenka, already confirmed as the group winner, will advance to Friday’s semifinals to face the No.2 qualifier out of the Orange Group.

“I think today I served really well, and especially in the third set,” Rybakina said. “So I’m pretty happy that this was improvement, and I think maybe movement a little bit better.

“But of course, overall, I know that I’m not at my best, and if I would have maybe more weeks and some other matches, but with all the circumstances, I’m really happy overall how I played this this tournament.”

Rybakina came into Wednesday’s match as the significant 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 held a commanding lead in their prolific head-to-head, winning six of their nine meetings. 

But there was reason to believe Rybakina could trouble Sabalenka, who was riding a seven-match win streak, beginning with her title run at the Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open last month. Rybakina opened her outstanding 2024 campaign by dominating Sabalenka in the final of the Brisbane International in January, winning 6-0, 6-3. A few months later, on Madrid’s quick clay, Rybakina took Sabalenka to the limit in a thrilling semifinal duel, which Sabalenka won 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(5). 

Facing Sabalenka for the 10th time and bidding to capture her first win at this year’s WTA Finals, Rybakina played a disciplined match from the baseline to land her second win over a reigning World No.1 this year. She outhit Sabalenka with 10 winners to six in the opening set before Sabalenka responded with a remarkably clean second set. Showing her champion’s mettle, Sabalenka struck 15 winners to just five unforced errors in the second set to take the match into a deciding frame. 

Rybakina raced to a 4-1 lead and did not face a break point in the final set. She was perfect behind her first serve, winning all 12 points when landing her first strike, and eased herself to the win. The 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 keep myself motivated and hungry and being 100% on in this kind of matches when you know that you’re already in the semis and the only motivation for you is points and money. But that was tricky. 

“And you see someone up on another side, and especially with such a high-level player who has kind of like nothing to lose, and she was just going for her shots and everything was going in. I would say that emotionally, the first set, I was kind of off — not kind of — I was really off, and that’s something I have to fix before the semis.”