Aryna Sabalenka Poised to Break Serena Williams’ Guinness World Record

Aryna Sabalenka is closing on Serena Williams’ WTA prize money record in a single season, which is a Guinness World Record, and could do so in her next tournament.

Sabalenka’s windfall from successfully defending the US Open title will help her immensely in that regard. The Belarusian received $5 million in prize money for winning the tournament, the biggest paycheck awarded to the champion in WTA history.

Sabalenka Poised to Break Serena’s Prize Money Record

That takes Sabalenka’s 2025 on-court earnings past the $12 million mark. She is only the second woman to do so, emulating Serena Williams, who earned $12,385,572 in 2013 after winning two Grand Slams and the WTA Finals. The legendary American wrote her name in the Guinness World Record books.

Barring injury, Sabalenka will most definitely beat Serena’s tally as she is only a few thousand away. Sabalenka’s exact total after the US Open stands at $12,133,419. The World No. 1 has already qualified for the prestigious WTA Finals, which is held in Saudi Arabia and normally guarantees handsome pay to all participants.

Last year, players earned a participation fee of $335,000 and $350,000 for each round robin win. And with the WTA’s yearly prize money this season rising by at least 13% to $249 million, the year-end championships could offer even more pay in participation fees. Sabalenka will likely surpass Williams’ prize money record just by showing up in Riyadh at the end of the season, although she could do it earlier during the Asian swing.

Officially the Season’s Highest Earner

Sabalenka overtook Iga Swiatek for pole position in the WTA 2025 prize money leaderboard with over $12 million in earnings. Swiatek is pushing to break the $10 million barrier after her quarterfinal exit at the US Open.

Sabalenka played in three of four Grand Slam finals this year, winning her second US Open title by beating Amanda Anisimova, and has also won titles in Brisbane, Miami, and Madrid, which also account for a huge chunk of her prize money. The prize money record isn’t the only goal within Sabalenka’s reach. She can also break Serena’s WTA points record, having come close at Wimbledon.