Up to $1.87m less than Rybakina: WTA Finals prize money falls with move to Indian Wells
Mirra Andreeva or Elina Svitolina will collect at most $3.37 million for winning the WTA Finals on Sunday in Indian Wells, against a record $5.235 million for Elena Rybakina in Riyadh in 2025. A viral post claims the gap is over $3 million once US and Californian taxes are taken out, but it confuses withholding with the final tax bill.
WTA Finals field, 2026 | © Clara Balzary / Getty / WTA
Whoever lifts the trophy on Sunday night in Indian Wells will earn far less than Elena Rybakina did a year ago. With the WTA Finals moved from Riyadh to California, the total prize money has dropped from $15.5 million to $10 million. An undefeated champion now collects $3,370,000, which is $1,865,000 less than the record $5,235,000 Rybakina took home in Saudi Arabia in 2025.
The final pits Mirra Andreeva, unbeaten all week, against Elina Svitolina, whom the Russian beat in their opening group match. That result matters for the cheque: only Andreeva can still finish the week as an undefeated champion.
What the two finalists can earn
Prize money at the WTA Finals is paid per match won, on top of a participation fee. If Andreeva wins, she collects $3,370,000. If Svitolina wins, with two round-robin wins instead of three, she takes $3,140,000. The runner-up leaves with $1,500,000 if it is Andreeva and $1,270,000 if it is Svitolina.
| Rank | Player | Prize money |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Participation fee | 220,000 |
| 2 | Round-robin win Per win | 230,000 |
| 3 | Semi-final win | 820,000 |
| 4 | Final win | 1,640,000 |
| 5 | Undefeated champion 2025 in Riyadh: $5,235,000 | 3,370,000 |
The ranking points do not change: an undefeated champion still earns 1,500 points.
Far behind the ATP Finals
The gap has also opened with the men. At the ATP Finals in Turin, which began on Sunday, an undefeated champion will earn $5,171,000 from a record $15.75 million purse, $1.8 million more than the women’s champion in Indian Wells.
The viral tax claim
A post widely shared on social media goes further, claiming the champion will take home more than $3.1 million less than Rybakina. Its calculation deducts 30% in US federal withholding and 7% in Californian withholding from the $3.37 million, leaving around $2.12 million, against a tax-free $5.235 million in Riyadh.
Both rates exist. The US withholds 30% of prize money paid to non-resident athletes by default, and California requires 7% withholding on payments to non-residents above $1,500 a year. But withholding is not the final tax bill: what a player actually pays depends on her tax return, her expenses, tax treaties and her country of residence, and California allows non-residents to request reduced withholding. The real, verified drop is the one in prize money: $1.865 million, or 36%.
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