WOMEN’S FINAL PREVIEW

By Harvey Fialkov / Staff writer

Why Gauff? After four three-set wins, Gauff dominated the usually consistent Karolina Muchova, allowing her just two games in their semifinal. A nerve issue on her left arm seems to be a non-factor. The hometown favorite from nearby Delray Beach will garner most of the fans’ backing. After never making it out of the sweet 16 here, Gauff is in her first Miami final and has made it clear it’s a “bucket-list,’’ goal. She’s the youngest Miami Open finalist since 21-year-old Serena Williams in 2003. Win or lose, Gauff will rise from No. 4 to No. 3 on Monday, passing Iga Swiatek.

Key stats: Gauff is 9-0 in hard-court finals and defeated Sabalenka in the final of both of her two Grand Slam titles (2023 US Open and 2025 French Open).

Keys to win: Gauff must use her athleticism to extend the rallies and run Sabalenka side to side. She must keep her double faults to a minimum. We could see Gauff attack Sabalenka’s second serve and come to the net where she is an excellent volleyer.

Head-to-Head: 6-6 (Sabalenka 5-4 on hard)

Why Sabalenka? She is clearly the best hard-court player on the Tour, having won 20 of her 23 titles on that surface. She lives in Miami and loves being at home where she won this title last year. Her recent engagement to Brazilian entrepreneur Georgios Frangulis has the passionate Brazilian fans embracing her as well. She hasn’t dropped a set in any of her five matches and absolutely smoked No. 2 Elena Rybakina in the semifinals. Sabalenka is looking to be the first repeat champion since Ash Barty did it in 2019 and ’21 (The Miami Open was not held in 2020). More significantly, Sabalenka is shooting to become the fifth woman to win Indian Wells and Miami in the same season for the Sunshine Double. Eight of her 12 matches with Gauff have featured at least one tiebreak and six have gone to three sets.

Key stat: Sabalenka hasn’t dropped a set to anyone not named Elena Rybakina since Nov. 7, 2025. She has won 46 of 48 sets this year and 21 consecutive sets in this tournament since 2024.

Keys to win: Play like she did against Rybakina Thursday night without any fear of going for her pulverizing groundstrokes, which would take away some of Gauff’s speedy defensive prowess. Put pressure on Gauff’s inconsistent serve, especially her second offering. Although Gauff’s forehand has been more dependable this tournament, that is always the side to attack, particularly because her two-handed backhand is among the best in the world.

QUOTES ON PLAYING EACH OTHER

Gauff: “Last time we played, I think, was the WTA Finals, and I started that match off great. And I think, at the end of day, I just felt like I was entering that tournament maybe a little bit low in confidence, and I just didn’t trust my shots in that moment. And yeah, we’ve played so many matches, and it’s physical when I play her every time, it’s going to be tough. And she’s playing great tennis. She’s definitely world No. 1 for a reason, and it’s going to be a great challenge.”

Sabalenka: “A lot of rallies. A lot of emotions. A lot of aggression, a lot of fun. … She’s a fighter. She’s a great player. We played a lot of tight matches, a lot of big finals. And I’m real excited to face her in the final. I think it’s going to be a great battle. I can’t wait to play that match. The rhythm is always different. It’s not like she’s forcing unforced errors. With Coco you know you have to play an extra ball, and the ball always comes back, so sometimes it’s not perfect but it’s always back on your side. You have to be aggressive and go for your shots. She pushes you into the long rallies and that’s what makes her more difficult.”