Aryna Sabalenka defeated Coco Gauff to win a second straight Miami Open, completing a rare Indian Wells-Miami sweep and cementing her world number one status.
ARYNA Sabalenka won her second consecutive Miami Open title on Sunday. The world number one from Belarus defeated American Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 to complete a prestigious “Sunshine Double”.
Sabalenka’s triumph makes her the fifth woman to win both the Indian Wells and Miami WTA 1000 titles in the same year. She joins an elite list featuring Iga Swiatek, Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters and fellow Belarusian Victoria Azarenka.
“It means a lot,” Sabalenka said. “My goal always been to put my name in the history, and I just did it.”
The victory underscored Sabalenka’s dominance this season. Her only defeat in 2026 remains the Australian Open final loss to Elena Rybakina, whom she has since beaten at both Indian Wells and in the Miami semi-finals.
She also handed Gauff her first career defeat in a hardcourt final. The American had previously won all nine of her finals on the surface, including a victory over Sabalenka in the 2023 US Open championship match.
Sabalenka started ruthlessly, breaking Gauff to open the match and again in the seventh game. She sealed the first set in 37 minutes without facing a single break point.
Gauff fought back in a tense second set, breaking Sabalenka for the first time to level the match. “I knew that she’s going to try her very best to fight in this match,” Sabalenka said.
The deciding set belonged to the top seed. Sabalenka broke immediately and sealed victory on her first match point when Gauff sent a backhand long.
“What a month,” said Sabalenka, who also got engaged and acquired a new puppy during her successful American swing.
For Gauff, the final capped a promising return from injury. She had withdrawn from Indian Wells with a nerve issue in her left arm and considered skipping Miami entirely.
“I feel like I’m nowhere near my peak of my tennis, so I think it gives me comfort a little bit playing these tournaments and having great results,” the 22-year-old said.
The Sun Malaysia
