They had said she was too small to play tennis, but the 5ft 3in "Pocket Rocket" would soon be standing tall with the Billie Jean King trophy in her hands.
"It's hard to describe it with words," she told CNN. "It just feels great and I've never been so happy in my life. Amazing!"
Cibulková has always been a fighter.
In an age where height and power dominates, she has defied the odds from the start -- admitting after the match that some had sought to turn her away from the game growing up.
"They underestimated me. I really wanted to play tennis -- nobody could tell me different."
Ranked 66th at the start of the year, it's been a long road to the top. Martina Navratilova has remarked that the only time Cibulková stops working hard is when she's asleep -- something the 27-year-old attests to.
"I think she's right; I have to put something extra into my game and into my tennis to beat the taller girls."
"My height -- this is something I deal with, and I'm happy to be the motivation for other people like me."
The sky's the limit
The plucky Cibulková hit 28 winners and just 14 unforced errors on her way to becoming the first WTA finals debutant to take the title since Petra Kvitova in 2011.
After neutralizing the renowned Kerber return with an 83% first-serve percentage, Monday's rankings see her move into the top five for the first time ever.
"Right now I'm in the state of mind where I really believe in myself," says Cibulková. "I just really believe that I can be -- that I am -- one of the best tennis players in the world.
"And I want to continue; I just want to see where I can get with this attitude. Hopefully I can get even further."
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