Aryna Sabalenka, the indomitable force of women’s tennis, was officially crowned the 2025 WTA Year-End World No. 1 on Saturday, receiving the prestigious Chris Evert WTA World No. 1 Trophy during a glittering on-court ceremony at the WTA Finals Riyadh presented by PIF. The Belarusian powerhouse becomes only the seventh woman in history to hold the top ranking for an entire calendar year, joining legends Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Serena Williams, and Ashleigh Barty.
In a social media post that captured the joy of the moment, Sabalenka quipped: “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend and the year end World No 1 trophy has a lot of them 💎💎💎 soo.” Her playful nod referenced the trophy’s iconic design—a silver “star-map” tennis ball symbolizing the tennis universe, where each player to have ever held the No. 1 ranking is immortalized with a genuine diamond.
Sabalenka’s second consecutive year-end No. 1 honor caps a season of extraordinary dominance. The 27-year-old compiled a tour-leading 59 match wins entering the WTA Finals, reaching eight finals and claiming four titles, including a successful defense of her US Open crown—her fourth Grand Slam singles triumph overall.dfb11e She also advanced to the finals of the Australian Open and Roland Garros, showcasing the consistency that kept her atop the PIF WTA Rankings for all 52 weeks of 2025.
“This means a lot to me,” Sabalenka said during the presentation, flanked by former year-end No. 1s Simona Halep and Garbiñe Muguruza. “It’s been an incredible journey, and I’m hungry for more. The trophy handover, delivered by Mohamed AlSayyad of PIF, marked a poignant celebration of the WTA’s 50th anniversary of computerized rankings, which debuted on November 3, 1975, with Chris Evert as the inaugural No. 1.
Sabalenka’s path to back-to-back honors was sealed weeks ago, with her insurmountable lead over No. 2 Iga Świątek rendering the WTA Finals irrelevant for the year-end crown. She has now spent 55 consecutive weeks at No. 1, a testament to her evolution from raw power to tactical mastery.
As the top seed in Riyadh, Sabalenka opened her Finals campaign in the Stefanie Graf Group with a commanding 6-3, 6-1 victory over Jasmine Paolini, pushing her season win tally to a career-best 60—a rare milestone on the Hologic WTA Tour. Next up: clashes with Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, as she chases her elusive first Billie Jean King Trophy.
With four majors, nine WTA 1000 titles, and now multiple year-end No. 1 finishes, Sabalenka has cemented her status as the defining player of her era. As the diamonds on her trophy gleam under Riyadh’s lights, one thing is clear: the best friend a girl could ask for just got a whole lot shinier.
