Aryna Sabalenka hit with brutal tax bill immediately after US Open loss

04:39 ET, Tue, Sep 15, 2026 Updated: 04:40 ET, Tue, Sep 15, 2026

Aryna Sabalenka lost the US Open final (Image: Getty Images)

Aryna Sabalenka lost her composure after falling to Elena Rybakina in Saturday's US Open final, and she now stands to lose nearly half of her $2.8 million prize money.

Rybakina secured her first US Open title after defeating Sabalenka in three sets, mirroring their Australian Open final encounter from earlier this year. While Rybakina maintained her composure and displayed little emotion, Sabalenka's frustration boiled over.

Sabalenka was issued a code violation for ball abuse during the opening set and was observed destroying her racket as Rybakina celebrated the biggest payday of her career. Although it remained a lucrative two weeks for Sabalenka, her financial deduction was substantial.

A record prize pool was available at this year's US Open, with $108 million distributed throughout the tournament. The men's and women's singles champions each receive $5.5 million, representing the largest singles prize in Grand Slam history.

While claiming the trophy remains the primary objective, the runner-up still departs with $2.8 million. However, taxation then becomes a factor, substantially diminishing the actual take-home amount.

Elena Rybakina got the better of Sabalenka (Image: Getty Images)

Sabalenka will incur a 37 percent federal tax deduction, which will be subtracted from her US Open earnings. Additionally, since the tournament takes place in New York, Sabalenka must pay an extra 9.65 percent in state taxes.

The World No. 2 likely won't face additional taxation in her home country of Belarus, where taxes are determined by residency, and Sabalenka rarely resides there. She instead maintains residence in Monaco, which serves as a tax haven for those living within its borders.

The 37 percent federal withholding will equal approximately $991,000, with New York State taxes adding slightly more than $270,000. Consequently, Sabalenka will receive roughly $1.5 million from her total $2.8 million prize money.

Sabalenka entered the women's US Open final as the favorite, despite failing to capture a Grand Slam title this year. She was the two-time reigning US Open champion and sought to become just the third woman ever to achieve the three-peat.

A revenge factor was also present, as Rybakina had won sufficient matches at the US Open to overtake Sabalenka for the World No. 1 ranking. As Rybakina began dominating Sabalenka, her frustration became apparent, and she unraveled during the contest.

Following multiple racket throws, forceful ball strikes into the air or toward spectators, and numerous outbursts during the match, Sabalenka was questioned about managing her emotions. "It's really tough to control your emotions when you lose in the final of the Grand Slam and when you were trying to go for three-peat," she said.

"So I just wanted to let it go, because if I would hold it inside, right now or here or there on the court, I wouldn't be able to say a word or I would just go not really nice over there. So I just wanted to let all of that aggression and disappointment go outside.

"I was just out there competing, trying to do my best with what I had there today. Not good enough."