How much money does Sabalenka get after beating Pegula and winning the WTA Cincinnati Open?

Aryna Sabalenka, the Belarusian tennis player, secured her first title since the Australian Open in January by defeating Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-5 in the Cincinnati Open on Monday.

Sabalenka, who had moved to number two in the rankings before the match, did not lose a set on her way to capturing her 15th WTA title. She had previously never advanced past the semi-finals at Cincinnati, having lost at that stage three times. The 26-year-old is now considered a favorite at the U.S. Open, which commences on August 26 in New York. The Belarusian missed Wimbledon due to a shoulder injury but made her return to the tour at Washington two weeks ago.

How did Sabalenka win the match?

In her match against Pegula, Sabalenka quickly established a 4-1 lead in the first set within 17 minutes. Pegula, who double-faulted five times, managed to break serve for the first time to level the second set at 5-all. Nevertheless, Sabalenka won the next two games to clinch the one-hour, 14-minute match. The sixth-ranked Pegula faced an arduous journey to the final. After defending her title at Toronto, the American had to play two matches on Friday due to weather-related delays, and three matches went to three sets. Her time on the court exceeded Sabalenka’s by over two hours leading up to the final.

How much money did the Belarusian player get for winning the Cincinnati Open title?

Sabalenka’s victory in Cincinnati will earn her an impressive prize money of $523,485, while Pegula will take home a considerable $308,320 for reaching the title match.

She also joined top-ranked Iga Swiatek as the only player with 10 or more WTA titles since 2020. She overcame Swiatek in the Cincinnati semi-finals. as the only player with 10 or more WTA titles since 2020.

She said she would celebrate the win with a tequila before focusing on the final major of the year.

“It has to be a tequila. You have to try a margarita, that’s the best drink.”