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Kazakhstan’s Rybakina Defeats World No. 1 Sabalenka for WTA Finals Title

Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan didn’t make it past the round-robin stage in two previous appearances at the WTA Finals. On Saturday, she defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 7-6 (0) to win the elite competition for the first time, collecting a record $5.23 million in prize money and 1,500 ranking points. Russia-born Rybakina, 26, was unbeaten in the eight-player tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia that the WTA describes as the “crown jewel” of women’s tennis, winning matches against Amanda Anisimova, 2023 WTA Finals champion Iga Swiatek, alternate Ekaterina Alexandrova and Jessica Pegula. Rybakina improved to 6-8 in her head-to-head against Belarusian Sabalenka, who was also undefeated in her path to the final. “Because the singles finalists are coming into this match undefeated, the champion will take home $5.23 million, the largest payout in women's sports history,” the WTA said ahead of the final. It also said: “An undefeated tournament results in 1,500 ranking points.” Sabalenka won this year’s U.S. Open and reached the Australian Open and Roland Garros finals. Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, had won two WTA 500 titles but did not advance past the fourth round at any of the majors this year. She picked up momentum on faster surfaces in the late-year Asian swing with her big serve, and hammered 15 aces in a three-set victory over American Pegula in the semifinals in Riyadh. The WTA Finals were played on indoor hard courts at the King Saud University Indoor Arena. As champion, Rybakina joins Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, and Serena Williams and other luminaries who have won the season-ending event.

Elena Rybakina

Elena Rybakina Makes History as First Kazakh to Reach WTA Finals Semifinals

Elena Rybakina, Kazakhstan’s top-ranked tennis player and world number six, has made history by reaching the semifinals of the WTA Finals. She is the first player from Kazakhstan and the wider Central Asian region to advance to the playoffs of the prestigious year-end tournament. The WTA Finals, held annually since 1971, feature the top eight players based on points accumulated throughout the season rather than the current WTA rankings. In 2025, Rybakina secured her place in Riyadh ahead of world number ten, Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova. This is Rybakina’s third consecutive appearance at the Finals. After failing to progress beyond the group stage in 2023 and 2024, she achieved a breakthrough this year by finishing first in her group. Her round-robin opponents included world number two Iga Swiatek (Poland), world number four Amanda Anisimova (United States), and world number seven Madison Keys (U.S.). Rybakina began with a commanding 6–3, 6–1 victory over Anisimova, then mounted a comeback against Swiatek, overturning a 3–6 first-set loss to take the next two sets 6–1, 6–0. The consecutive wins secured her a place in the semifinals and the top position in the group with one match remaining. In the final group match, Keys withdrew due to injury and was replaced by Alexandrova, who had traveled to Riyadh as an alternate. Rybakina maintained her dominance, defeating the Russian 6–4, 6–4. At 25, the Moscow-born Rybakina, who represents Kazakhstan, has earned her place in the nation’s tennis history as the first player to reach the WTA Finals playoffs. Anisimova, who stunned Swiatek 6–7 (3), 6–4, 6–2, finished second in the group and will also advance. In the parallel group, semifinal qualification will be decided on November 6. World number one Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) leads and is set to face world number three Coco Gauff (U.S.), while Jessica Pegula (U.S.), currently in second place, will play Jasmine Paolini (Italy). Rybakina will face the runner-up from that group in the semifinal on November 7. The final is scheduled for November 8. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Rybakina’s strong 2025 season included titles at two WTA tournaments and a semifinal appearance at the Tokyo event in October, which secured her place at the Finals.

Sports

Kazakh Boxing Legend Gennadiy Golovkin Nominated to Lead World Boxing

Gennadiy Golovkin, Kazakhstan’s former middleweight world champion, and current head of the National Olympic Committee, has been nominated for the presidency of World Boxing, the international boxing federation. He is also running concurrently for a vicepresidential post and a seat on the Board of Directors. World Boxing was created in April 2023 as an alternative to the International Boxing Association (IBA) after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended it from hosting Olympic qualifying tournaments citing governance problems, corruption scandals and nontransparent refereeing. At its founding the association included only six countries, United States, Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the Philippines but by late 2025 it has grown considerably. In September 2024 Golovkin became Chair of World Boxing’s Olympic Commission, whose key task is to work with the IOC to keep boxing in the Olympic programme and gain official recognition for the new organisation. The next World Boxing leadership elections will take place on 23 November 2025 in Rome as part of the World Boxing Congress. The incumbent president, Dutchman Boris van der Vorst, has announced he will not seek reelection. According to the organisation’s press service, Golovkin has been nominated for three positions simultaneously, president, vicepresident and board member. Election to one position automatically excludes voting for the others. Two other candidates for the presidency have been announced: Mariolis Charilaos of Greece. A number of other candidates are also running for the vicepresidential and board seats. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, in 2025 World Boxing held its first amateur world championship, with Kazakhstan’s team winning the overall team competition.

Sports

Uzbekistan’s Abdukodir Khusanov Judged Asia’s Joint Most Valuable Footballer

At just 21 years old, Uzbek defender Abdukodir Khusanov has been named as Asia’s joint most expensive footballer, with a current market valuation of €35 million, according to Transfermarkt’s latest update. This places him on par with Brighton's Japanese winger Kaoru Mitoma, whose value was recently revised down from €40 million to €35 million. Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae, a South Korean international, also saw a decrease, from €40 million to €32 million, making Khusanov the continent’s equal top-valued player with Mitoma. Khusanov’s meteoric rise follows his high-profile transfer to English champions Manchester City earlier this year. The long-term deal, reportedly valued at €40 million, marked a record for an Uzbek player and one of the largest fees ever paid for an Asian footballer. Manchester City confirmed the signing from French club RC Lens in January. British media reported that the deal includes performance-based bonuses, which could further increase its value. The central defender made 31 appearances for Lens after transferring from Belarusian side Energetik-BGU Minsk in 2023. Khusanov is the first player from Uzbekistan to play in the English Premier League, a landmark achievement that has garnered widespread attention in his home country. Manchester City officials praised his tactical awareness, composure under pressure, and pace, qualities he demonstrated throughout his Ligue 1 campaign.

Sports

Future Chelsea Player Satpaev Seals Second Consecutive Title for Kairat

Almaty's Kairat Football Club has secured its second consecutive Kazakhstan Premier League (KPL) championship. The decisive goal in the final match was scored by Kazakhstan national team striker Dastan Satpaev, currently on contract with London’s Chelsea. Last year, Kairat won the national championship for the fourth time in its history. This summer, the club qualified for the UEFA Champions’ League group stage for the first time, intensifying pressure on the team as it competed simultaneously in both domestic and European tournaments. Entering the final round, Kairat held a narrow two-point lead over its closest challenger, FC Astana. Fittingly, the season concluded with a high-stakes home match against the capital’s team. The match took place on Sunday, October 26. Despite Kairat’s territorial dominance, Astana struck first, 38-year-old midfielder Marin Tomasov scored in the 15th minute with a well-placed shot from the penalty area. The visitors threatened further, but Kairat goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov delivered several crucial saves to keep the deficit at one. In the second half, Satpaev, who will join Chelsea after he turns 18, scored the equalizer, making it 1-1. The draw was enough to keep Kairat ahead in the standings, two points clear of Astana, and clinch the club’s fifth national title. Tomasov nearly scored a second goal during stoppage time, but his shot struck the crossbar. With this result, Kairat became only the seventh club in KPL history to successfully defend its title. The league’s record for consecutive championships belongs to Astana, who won six straight from 2014 to 2019. Aktobe followed with a three-peat (2007–2009), while Yelimay (1994-1995), Zhenis (2000-2001), Irtysh (2002-2003), and Shakhtar Karagandy (2011-2012) each managed two. Between 2020 and 2024, no team had retained the championship, until now. “There were certainly difficulties during the season, primarily the struggle on several fronts,” said Kairat head coach Rafael Urazbakhtin after the match. He noted that frequent squad rotation, a demanding schedule, and long-distance travel forced the coaching staff to carefully manage the squad’s physical condition. “Over time, the team adapted to the rhythm of two or three matches a week. Endurance and teamwork became key factors,” he added. Kairat’s attention now shifts back to the Champions League, where the club sits in last place in its group with one point from three matches. The next fixture is on November 5 in Milan against second-placed Inter. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kairat’s Champions League breakthrough was made possible in part by Anarbekov’s standout performance in a penalty shootout victory over Scotland’s Celtic.

Sports

Kazakhstan’s Rybakina Qualifies for WTA Finals with Japan Win

Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan has secured the last available spot in the WTA Tour Finals after a win over Victoria Mboko in Tokyo. Rybakina defeated the Canadian 6-3, 7-6 (4) with big serves and powerful groundstrokes on Friday, reaching the semifinals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open and qualifying for the elite yearend event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Eight singles players as well as doubles teams will compete in the November 1-8 WTA finals. Russia-born Rybakina, 26, has won two tournaments this season and will appear in the WTA finals for the third year in a row. She was Wimbledon champion in 2022. “She has such easy power and she moves well. The serve is a killer. She has all the shots and she’s proven she can win on any surface,” Martina Navratilova, who won the tour championships eight times, said in comments posted on the WTA website. “If I were her, I’d work on the slice more, just to change things up. Mix in more drop shots off both wings so she can knife the ball and keep opponents guessing. It’s hard to tell sometimes what she’s thinking on court -- she has a serious game face -- but with the way she’s been playing in Asia, you can’t count her out. She’s playing as well as she has all season.” Rybakina, ranked seventh in the world, now has a 2-1 record against 19-year-old Mboko. She beat the Canadian in the round of 16 in Washington, D.C. in July but lost to her in a third-set tiebreaker in the Montreal semifinals in August. “She was serving so well that it was very difficult,” Rybakina said in an on-court interview after the Tokyo match. The Kazakhstani player saved a set point in the tight second set. The other players who have qualified for the WTA finals are world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys and Jasmine Paolini. Gauff won the event last year.