Aryna Sabalenka fined as Alexander Zverev and Elena Rybakina lose $5m of US Open prize money

Aryna Sabalenka has been fined by US Open officials after smashing her racquet on court immediately after the women's final. However the fine is only about an eighth of what she could have received.

Sabalenka cut a devastated figure after her loss to Elena Rybakina in the US Open decider and destroyed her racquet while sitting court-side immediately after the final point. Under grand slam rules, players can be fined up to US$50,000 (AU$69,000) for racquet abuse.

On Tuesday the US Open released a list of the fines handed down for the two-week tournament, with Sabalenka's name featuring at the bottom. The World No.2 was fined US$7500 for her racquet smash, meaning she got off quite lightly.

Fines can be increased if a player is a repeat offender. Sabalenka also destroyed a racquet on-court following the Australian Open final in 2025, as well as smashing multiple racquets in the locker room after the US Open final in 2023.

"That is something that she clearly still hasn't got control of, the emotions in the big matches," Todd Woodbridge said on Channel 9 after the match. "It is never easy losing, there is no doubt about that…[but] great champions don't really carry themselves like that."

The $7500 fine is a drop in the ocean compared to the $2.8 million she won for being runner-up. Although she only gets to keep about $1.5 million due to local tax laws.

US Open champions lose $5 million of prize money

Speaking of which, Rybakina and men's champion Alexander Zverev will lose about $5 million combined for the same reason. The men's and women's champions won $5.5 million each - the highest prize money in tennis history and $500,000 more than what last year's US Open winners received.

But they'll both only pocket about $3 million each after tax. Under New York state laws they'll both be taxed 9.65 per cent of their earnings, as well as another 37 per cent under US Federal tax laws (for all earnings over $609,351). It adds up to about $2.5 million that each player will have to pay in tax.

Because Zverev resides in Monaco - a tax free haven - he won't pay any more when he arrives back home. The German doesn't reside in his native country long enough to be considered a tax-paying resident. It's also being reported that Rybakina will avoid double taxation in her home country of Kazakhstan.

Rybakina has won $35.3 million in career prize money, which is 11th all-time for women's players. Sabalenka is at $53.2m (second all-time behind Serena Williams), while Zverev has $74m (fourth all-time for men's players).

Click here to read article