On a night when pressure could have suffocated the spirit of many, Aryna Sabalenka walked onto the WTA Finals court with a familiar fire in her eyes. This wasn’t just another match in Riyadh—this was a moment written long before she struck her first serve, a checkpoint destiny she had chased all season. And as the final ball flew past Jasmine Paolini, Sabalenka didn’t just celebrate a win—she celebrated her reign.

Back-to-back year-end world number one. A seat beside Iga Swiatek in the elusive 60-win club. And a heart full of emotion only the fiercest competitors understand. Two of the brightest stars of women’s tennis, Sabalenka (60) and Swiatek (62), are now the first duo to claim 60+ WTA-level wins in a calendar year since Serena Williams and Agnieszka Radwańska in 2013.

This is the first time she has won 60 matches in a season. What a season this has been for the Belarusian: 1 Grand Slam title, 3 Grand Slam finals, 4 Grand Slam semifinals, and 2 WTA 1000 titles. 1 WTA 500 title. After her 6-3, 6-1 win against Paolini, when Aryna Sabalenka was asked to share her thoughts about finishing the year as the world number one, she said, “That feels super special. I’m super happy and proud of the work that’s been done and that I’m getting better and better every day. I hope we’re gonna keep doing what we’re doing. Hopefully, we can stay there.”

Sabalenka is now also the player featuring at the WTA Finals with the most career indoor wins (40) at the WTA level. This was her eighth meeting with the Italian, and with this win, she has now taken her H2H record to 6-2 against Paolini. Further on, while sharing her thoughts about the match, Sabalenka admitted, “Yeah, she’s a tough opponent. We’ve played a lot, and every time it’s a tough battle. It doesn’t matter the score; I know I always have to stay focused, and if you give her opportunities, she’s going to step in, and she’s going to take control of the game. So, I think I’m mostly happy with my focus today… I was focused, I was calm, and it felt like everything was in control.”

Talking about her approach in this tournament, Aryna Sabalenka claimed that she doesn’t see the WTA Finals as different from any other tournament. She said she doesn’t focus much on the round-robin format; instead, all she thinks about is winning five matches and sealing the deal at this year-ending end-of-year event. 

Despite reigning over the women’s tennis world alongside Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff in the last couple of years, Sabalenka’s record at the WTA Finals is not too impressive. This year marks her fifth appearance in this tournament. Although she reached the final once in this competition (in 2022), she was defeated by Carolina Garcia in straight sets. In the previous two editions, Sabalenka failed to reach the finals, as her journey was cut short in the semis.

She will face Jessica Pegula in the next match, and a win in that match would confirm her ticket for the semifinals once again. Can she do it? Well, her performance in the previous match would surely uplift her confidence for the rest of the campaign. Here’s what tennis legend Tim Henman had to say about the match between Aryna Sabalenka and Jasmine Paolini.

Tim Henman hails Aryna Sabalenka’s brilliance in the opening match

From a rising star who made her professional debut in 2015, Aryna Sabalenka has now transitioned into a record-breaking machine. She is now one of only 16 players in WTA history to finish the season in the number one spot on multiple occasions. If we compare her 2025 season with the previous season, we’d see how consistent she has been in these two years.

A couple of days ago, when she was honored with the coveted year-end number one trophy during a special on-court ceremony in Riyadh, she said, “This means a lot to me. We've put a lot of hard work into this year, and hard work pays off. Every final and every match was incredible. I'm super proud of the season, and hopefully I can finish on a very good note here in Riyadh.” The WTA Finals mark her 63rd career week atop the PIF WTA Rankings.

Guess what? With this recent win against Paolini, she has now also surpassed Serena Williams’ prize money record. Both Paolini and Sabalenka took home $355,000 just for appearing in their bout at the WTA Finals. However, with her win in that match, Aryna Sabalenka collected an additional $355,000, and with this, her overall prize money on the WTA Tour in this season reached an all-time record of $13,008,519. Hence, she has now surpassed Williams' record for the most prize money won in a single WTA season. (Williams earned $12,385,572 in the 2013 season).

Coming back to her match against Jasmine Paolini, the former world number four, Tim Henman made a very interesting comment. During a conversation on Sky Sports, he said, “You can only go out there and beat the player in front of you, and there’s no doubt that Paolini was a bit under the weather, but Sabalenka continued really as she left off at the US Open with that Grand Slam title. Got the early break in the first set and just continued to pile the pressure on the Italian, and she will be absolutely delighted to get that first win in her group under her belt.”

It’ll be interesting to see if Paolini can get back to winning ways against Coco Gauff in the next match or not. And also, all eyes will now be on Aryna Sabalenka. Her fans will now want her to end the season on a higher note with her maiden WTA Finals title. But can she…?

Written by

Sayantan Roy

Sayantan Roy is a seasoned tennis journalist at EssentiallySports. He brings a deep tactical understanding to his coverage, breaking down head-to-head records, match dynamics, and on-court strategies with precision. For more than two years, Sayantan has been a key member of the Live Events desk, delivering real-time insights and data-backed predictions for the platform’s Matchday Preview section. His analytical approach has sparked editorial debates and drawn recognition from respected tennis voices, including commentator and analyst Olly_Tennis. Combining his experience in writing with a passion for insightful sports journalism, Sayantan’s work serves as a trusted reference point for tennis fans around the world.

Know more

Edited by

Shrabana Sengupta