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Awaiting her first match of the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Aryna Sabalenka lifted a very special trophy, the one that honors her finishing the 2025 season as the top-ranked women’s tennis player. At a ceremony on Saturday, the Belarusian was presented with the year-end No.1 trophy for the second year in a row.
In 2025, Sabalenka has reached an incredible eight finals, claiming four titles, including one at a Grand Slam. Her consistency has been nothing short of outstanding, as she continues to excel under the weight of expectation and the spotlight of attention.
The trophy presentation was made by Mohamed AlSayyad, PIF’s Head of Corporate Brand and Strategic Advisory Department. Saudi Arabia’s PIF (Public Investment Fund) became the first-ever title sponsor of the WTA Rankings last year. Also in attendance were tournament director Garbine Muguruza and Simona Halep, both retired former world No.1 players.
The 27-year-old Sabalenka enters the WTA Finals having spent a total of 63 weeks atop the PIF WTA Rankings, including 55 consecutive weeks since October 2024. She also leads the 2025 season with a career-best 59 match wins, and she’ll be aiming to extend that tally when she faces Jasmine Paolini in the Stefanie Graf Group tomorrow. Actually, Sabalenka’s 2025 WTA Finals opener will be her 500th career match on the Hologic WTA Tour (excluding Fed/Billie Jean King Cup).
“If you go back like five years ago, if someone would tell me I’ll be that consistent, I would be shocked,” Sabalenka told reporters in Riyadh. “It just tells me that the hard work pays off. I really hope that I will just keep doing what I’m doing.”
Regardless of what happens in Riyadh, Sabalenka will finish 2025 as the world’s top-ranked player. When the new season begins, she will have spent 71 weeks at No.1, tying Caroline Wozniacki for the 11th-longest reign in history. Lindsay Davenport’s 98 weeks are now the next benchmark within reach. (source: WTA)
