Australian Ash Barty has won the biggest cheque in tennis history, with victory at the year-ending WTA Finals in China.

The world-number-one secured a straight-sets win over Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in the final on Sunday night.

The 23-year-old has pocketed $6.4 million as a result, the largest tournament prize money for any player – male or female – in tennis history.

It takes Barty’s earnings to a staggering $16.37 million for 2019 and almost $24 million across her career.

More importantly for the Queenslander, she becomes the first Aussie to earn the year-end top ranking since Lleyton Hewitt in 2002 and the first female Australian to do it since her idol Evonne Goolagong Carley in 1976

Barty is on her way home and will look to lead Australia’s hunt for a first Fed Cup title since 1974, when we take on France in the final in Perth next week.

Image: Getty/Lintao Zhang