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Aryna Sabalenka Shatters Serena Williams’ Prize Money Record With Staggering $15 Million 2025 Haul

Aryna Sabalenka gives verdict on beating Serena Williams' records

Aryna Sabalenka has rewritten history. Even after finishing runner-up to Elena Rybakina at the 2025 WTA Finals, the Belarusian ended her season by surpassing Serena Williams’ long-standing record for the highest single-season prize money in women’s tennis. Sabalenka’s earnings reached a remarkable $15 million, eclipsing the $12.38 million Williams made during her dominant 2013 season. The record-breaking year not only reaffirmed Sabalenka’s dominance but also propelled her to second place on the all-time WTA prize money list with $45.17 million.

READ: ‘It got so awkward when Serena Williams walked in – I had to leave the locker room’

Sabalenka’s Climb Up the All-Time Prize Money List

Sabalenka’s 2025 campaign was one of the most consistent in recent memory. Her final loss in the WTA Finals did little to overshadow a year in which she won multiple titles, including a major, and stayed perched at world No. 1. The $2.69 million she earned for finishing second in Riyadh pushed her season total past the $15 million mark, a figure never before reached by a woman on the tour.

Her latest feat saw her leapfrog both Venus Williams and Iga Swiatek on the all-time earnings list, climbing from fourth to second within a month. She now trails only Serena Williams, whose unmatched $94.81 million remains the benchmark in women’s tennis. Sabalenka’s run this year further widened the gap between her and the chasing pack, with Iga Swiatek the closest active competitor at $43.64 million after earning $10.11 million in 2025.

The top five all-time WTA prize money leaders now feature Serena Williams ($94.81 million), Sabalenka ($45.17 million), Swiatek ($43.64 million), Venus Williams ($42.86 million), and Simona Halep ($40.23 million). Below is the table for all-time prize money leaders so far: 

# Player Active/Not Active Prize Money (All-Time)
1 Serena Williams Not Active $94,816,730
2 Aryna Sabalenka Active $45,175,621
3 Iga Swiatek Active $43,640,490
4 Venus Williams Not Active $42,867,364
5 Simona Halep Not Active $40,236,618
6 Victoria Azarenka Active $38,890,473
7 Maria Sharapova Not Active $38,777,962
8 Petra Kvitova Not Active $37,653,615
9 Caroline Wozniacki Active $36,479,231
10 Angelique Kerber Active $32,545,460
11 Coco Gauff Active $29,759,121
12 Agnieszka Radwanska Not Active $27,683,807
13 Elina Svitolina Active $26,657,071
14 Karolína Pliskova Active $26,140,530
15 Svetlana Kuznetsova Not Active $25,816,890

So basically, even without the WTA Finals crown, Sabalenka’s season will be remembered as one that shattered boundaries, both on court and in the record books.

Coco Gauff Breaks the Internet Alongside Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Świątek, and Others As WTA Finals Photoshoot Emerges

The tennis world is watching as the year’s top women players converge on Riyadh for the WTA Finals. Eight of the best singles competitors, including Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka, are now confirmed for the season-ending championship, bringing everything they have to Saudi Arabia. The tournament promises intense matches and impressive tennis, with fans eager to see which player will claim the title and finish the year on top.

The WTA Finals Bring Together the World’s Eight Best Players ft. Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka

The WTA Finals run from November 1 to November 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The tournament features the world’s top eight singles players competing in a round-robin format, with players divided into two groups of four. Everyone plays matches during the first six days, and the top two finishers from each group advance to the semifinals before the championship match.

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To qualify for the WTA Finals, players need to accumulate the most ranking points throughout the year, and this year’s eight qualified players are Sabalenka, Iga Świątek, Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, Jasmine Paolini, and Elena Rybakina.

Young star Mirra Andreeva almost made the cut, but visa problems prevented her from competing in the Japan Open, where she needed to earn enough points, so she now serves as the first alternate. Ekaterina Alexandrova is the second alternate in case anyone withdraws from the championship.

The WTA posted a glamorous photo on Instagram showing all eight players dressed in fancy dresses at the tournament venue. Players wore beautiful outfits in different colors, and the post called the moment “The Ultimate Stage” as fans got excited seeing all eight champions together in Riyadh, ready to compete.

our American players made it to the finals this year, showing strong US tennis talent at the event. Gauff is also the defending champion after beating Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen last year in a thrilling three-set final. The 21-year-old came from behind to secure the victory, and she returns as one of the top contenders to win the tournament.

Keys won the Australian Open earlier in 2025 and earned her spot at the finals after a solid year on tour, while Pegula also represents America at the championship. Anisimova rounds out the American representation, making her first WTA Finals appearance after an impressive season that included two Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and the US Open. She captured two WTA 1000 titles and reached a career-high ranking of World No. 4.

Sabalenka is currently the World No. 1 and has won the US Open in 2025 along with three other titles this season. Świątek won Wimbledon and stands as one of the top favorites heading into the championship week. Rybakina, who won Wimbledon in 2022, clinched her spot late in the season with strong performances in October and brings her championship experience to Riyadh.

Coco Gauff is hoping to pull off a Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka as the American reveals she thought about those two stars when agreeing to give a shot to changing her serve. 

For more than two years, Gauff faced calls to bring in a biomechanics coach and make certain tweaks to her technique and service motion. And after mightily struggling with her serve for three months following her French Open victory, the world No. 3 parted ways with coach Matt Daly and hired biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan.

Two months since adding MacMillan to her team, Gauff’s serve is already looking better. However, it is still far from perfect since she is basically learning on the go since the 2025 season is still ongoing.

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READ: As Coco Gauff Proves Serena Williams’ Former Coach

Before he became a part of Gauff’s team, MacMillan introduced himself to the tennis world big time in 2022 when he famously fixed Aryna Sabalenka’s major serving issues. The Belarusian has since won four Grand Slams and reached the world No. 1 ranking.

Gauff: Djokovic, Sabalenka had similar issues… I’ve drawn on those experiences

“I was looking at Novak and he’s someone who didn’t have as great of a serve in the beginning of his career, obviously different issue than me, but he just wasn’t serving as strong. And he made that change and has gone on to obviously be Novak Djokovic. And even at that time, he was still like a successful player. So yeah, I’ve drawn on those experiences. And obviously Aryna and Venus and those who’ve done those changes,” the 21-year-old told The National.

Gauff also highlighted that she is aware that her serve can’t be magically fixed overnight. However, the two-time Grand Slam champion believes in the process and looks at the bigger picture.

Meanwhile, Gauff got a bit of rest last week after winning Wuhan. Now, the American is preparing for the WTA Finals, where she will try to make it back-to-back wins at the season-ending tournament.

Aryna Sabalenka had a very candid response to being asked about the possibility of reaching Serena Williams’ heights as the Belarusian admitted that pulling off the American’s Grand Slam record was not possible for her.

Since 2023, Sabalenka has made seven Grand Slam finals and won four titles on the biggest stage. While the current top-ranked WTA star is by far one of the most accomplished players of her generation, she is still 19 Slams away from matching Williams’ record of 23. Also, she is 20 Majors away from leveling Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24.

Considering that Sabalenka – who turned 27 in May – is still very much in her prime and has at least a couple of more strong years ahead of her – all the chances are that she will add more success to her portfolio before she retires.

Aryna Sabalenka admits she cannot reach Serena Williams' Grand Slam success

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Sabalenka: I want to break records but it’s really tough to compete with Williams’ 23 Grand Slams

“Of course, I want to (break records), but it’s going to be really tough to compete with the Grand Slam titles that Serena has. I guess for me, the goal is to go as far as I can in this sport, and I do my best every day. I dedicate my life to the sport. So I really hope that by the end of my career, I’ll sit back, I’ll look at my results, and I’ll be really proud of myself,” the Belarusian tennis star admitted.

After losing in three Grand Slam finals early in her career, Sabalenka made her big breakthrough at the 2023 Australian Open. Since then, the 27-year-old has won another Australian Open title in 2024, as well as back-to-back US Open titles in 2024 and 2025.

When it comes to the remaining two Grand Slams, Sabalenka lost her first French Open final this year to Coco Gauff. At Wimbledon, the world No. 1 is consistently making deep runs but just can’t make it past the semifinal stage – her last three campaigns at The Championships ended in the semis.