Until recently, she trailed Iga Swiatek, who had long led the list of active players by total earnings from tournaments.

The world No. 1 successfully defended her US Open title in 2025, beating Amanda Anisimova in the final.

For this victory, Aryna Sabalenka received a record $5 million — the largest winner’s check ever awarded at a Grand Slam. The total prize pool at the 2025 US Open reached $90 million, while the winner’s payout increased by 39% compared to 2024, when Sabalenka earned $3.6 million.

The sharp increase is linked to the policies of the USTA and the WTA: organizers boosted the budget thanks to record income from broadcasting rights and sponsorships, while maintaining the principle of equal pay for men and women.

Before the tournament, Sabalenka ranked fourth on the all-time prize money list among active players ($37.2 million), behind Iga Swiatek ($41.4 million), Victoria Azarenka ($38.6 million), and Petra Kvitova ($37.5 million). But after Kvitova announced her retirement and Sabalenka’s new win lifted her total to $42,240,242, she moved ahead of Swiatek, who stopped in the quarterfinals and added just $660,000 to her tally (for a total of $42,009,048).

As a reminder, we previously reported that total prize money for WTA 125 tournaments is also set to hit a record $6 million in 2025.

Cover photo: Aryna Sabalenka. Depositphotos