The 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh wrapped up with one of the most thrilling championship matches in recent memory. Elena Rybakina put on an impressive show against World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in front of a captivated audience. Beyond the exciting tennis on display, however, something unexpected happened during the trophy ceremony that’s now got the tennis world talking on social media.
Why Did Elena Rybakina’s Interaction With Aryna Sabalenka and WTA CEO Portia Archer Turn Controversial?
Rybakina won her first WTA Finals championship on Saturday, November 8, defeating Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 7-6(0) in Riyadh. The final was billed as a matchup between two players at the top of their game, with both players entering the showdown unbeaten. Rybakina controlled large stretches of the match thanks to her powerful serve and solid court play.
The first set was smooth sailing as the Kazakh broke Sabalenka in the sixth game and held her lead to the end, finishing the set in 45 minutes. The second set was much tighter, with Sabalenka coming back strong and having two set points at 5-4, but Rybakina saved both and forced things into a tiebreaker.
Once the tiebreaker started, there was no contest as Rybakina dominated 7-0 to seal the trophy, winning the match on her first championship point.
After the trophy was handed out, something strange happened during the photo opportunity. Posts on social media showed that Rybakina seemingly refused to take a picture with both WTA CEO Portia Archer and Sabalenka together. It was the kind of photo that usually gets taken after every title match, but this time, something clearly felt off.
Rybakina refused to take a pic next to the WTA CEO? 👀 pic.twitter.com/A92ps4LLYl
— Lorena Popa 🕵️♀️🎾 (@popalorena) November 8, 2025
The incident took on extra meaning because of what happened earlier in 2025. The WTA investigated Rybakina’s coach, Stefano Vukov, and found that he had violated the tour’s code of conduct while coaching the former Wimbledon champion. As a result, Vukov got a one-year coaching ban and had to take classes on proper coaching behavior.
As reported by the Athletic, Archer, the WTA CEO, herself told Rybakina and Vukov about these findings on January 31. “We need a safe environment for everyone,” Archer wrote.
When reporters asked her about it, Rybakina wasn’t happy. “I’m just disappointed with the situation and how the process went,” she said. The player, who denied claims of Vukov’s mistreatment, made it clear she didn’t want to say anything further. Vukov’s ban was prematurely lifted in August after a successful appeal.
Rybakina’s Impressive Path to WTA Finals Trophy
What made this title even more impressive was Rybakina’s path to the tournament. She qualified for the WTA Finals as the last player to make the eight-player field but then went through the entire week without dropping a match. She won all five of her duels in Saudi Arabia, which pushed her winning streak to 11 straight matches heading into the final.
In her semifinal against Jessica Pegula, Rybakina had to come back from being down a set, hitting 15 aces in that match, and winning 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in two hours and seven minutes. In the round-robin stage, she beat Iga Świątek, Amanda Anisimova, and second alternate Ekaterina Alexandrova, who replaced Madison Keys.
For the week in Riyadh, Rybakina served up 48 aces across all five matches. Her final ace total for the year came to 516, leading the entire WTA tour. After winning the title, Rybakina climbed to World No. 5 in the rankings, up from her No. 6 seed coming into the tournament.
