World No.1 Sabalenka wins her second straight Miami Open and completes the Sunshine Double

By Harvey Fialkov / Staff writer

MIAMI GARDENS – On Coco Gauff’s only set point during the final of the Miami Open on Saturday afternoon, she raced to the far corner where Aryna Sabalenka painted both lines and somehow ripped it crosscourt on the sideline to force a weak forehand reply from the world No. 1 Belarusian.

Most of the sold-out, 16,830 pro-Coco fans in Hard Rock Stadium erupted in applause for their hometown favorite, partly because they craved a third set of this sky-high level confrontation. After all, Gauff, the fourth seed, won her first four matches this tournament in three sets, a place to which the dominant Sabalenka rarely goes.

None of the above perturbed Sabalenka, who immediately snatched the momentum back and quieted the crowd in the first game of the decisive set. Gauff’s two-handed backhand just missed the line at deuce. That led to Sabalenka tattooing a backhand down the line for a critical break and a lead she wouldn’t relinquish.

Sabalenka, as her nickname of ‘Tiger’ suggests, roared her approval, and rolled to a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Gauff to repeat as Miami Open champion, the first time that has been done since Aussie Ash Barty did it in 2019 and ’21 (no tournament held in 2020 due to the pandemic).

Far more significantly, Sabalenka became the fifth woman to win Indian Wells and Miami in the same season for the Sunshine Double, joining Steffi Graf (1994, ’96), Kim Clijsters (2005), Victoria Azarenka (2016) and Iga Swiatek (2022).

“It means a lot,’’ said Sabalenka, in her orange outfit. “My goal always has been to put my name in the history, and I just did it. It just sounds so unreal. I don’t know how I was able to achieve that, but I’m super proud right now. Of course, super happy with this beautiful trophy.”

Sabalenka even barked at a boisterous Coco fan but maintained her composure. She had been receiving a lot of fan support throughout the tournament, having won last year, living in Miami and garnering love from the Brazilians since her engagement to one of their own. But Saturday was for the Delray Beach darling Gauff, who grew up coming to this tournament and Dolphins games.

“It’s going to sound super-easy but my mentality basically right now is going to this final, there’s no way I lose it,’’ said Sabalenka, 27, who is 23-1 this year while dropping just two sets, including one to Gauff on Saturday. She has won 24 titles, 21 on hard courts.

“Trying to bring the same tough mentality that I’ll be there fighting for every point. There is no way I’ll let anything get to me. I’ll be staying focused; fighting for every moment, every point, trying to find a solution if needed. Just constantly reminding myself how strong I am and that I got it. It’s been working really well.”

She is the fourth player since 2000 to reach the finals in her first four tournaments of the year (Martina Hingis, 2001, Serena Williams, 2003, and Victoria Azarenka, 2012), all on hard court. She won three of them, including Brisbane and the Sunshine Double.

Sabalenka broke Gauff in the very first game of the match and got off to a 3-1 lead. Gauff staved off three break points and held at 2-3 on a nifty, angled backhand on the line. Still, Sabalenka would not relent, pounding groundstroke winners to every corner of the court for a 6-2 lead.

Surprisingly, Sabalenka was winning most of the backhand-to-backhand rallies, which is not usually the case for Gauff, whose problem areas are usually her forehand and inconsistent serve. Sabalenka was practically flawless in the first set.

The resilient Gauff began to be more aggressive in the second set, returning Sabalenka’s 103-mph serves and extending the rallies long enough for the Belarusian to make errors. At 2-2, serving at 0-40, Gauff again fought off three break points before a forehand down the line and a first-serve winner kept the scoreboard pressure on Sabalenka at 3-2.

Then with Sabalenka serving at 4-5, she committed a couple of loose errors before Gauff converted the set point to even the match and get the raucous crowd on their feet.

“I’m most disappointed about the first game of the third set, up 30-0, and the momentum of breaking her to win the set,” said Gauff, who is now 6-7 against Sabalenka and 2-2 in finals.  “I feel that was an important game to win at that moment especially because I wasn’t getting a lot of breaks but I was making her play a lot of balls considering how big her serve is. That’s something I have to learn from in the moment.

“I think in the second set I was just able to raise my level. I felt in the first I was letting her dictate a lot, which is tough because it’s Aryna. But I thought in the second I was doing a lot of dictating and playing a bit more aggressive, making deeper returns and things like that. Yeah, that first game, I’m a bit disappointed about.”

Sabalenka won 74 percent of her first serves, an excellent 61 percent of her second serves, and faced only two break points. Gauff faced 11 break points, saving seven, and committed seven double faults to none for Sabalenka.

“I felt the level was incredible, but the second set wasn’t ideal at the end,’’ said Sabalenka, who won her 11^th WTA 1000 title to go with her four Grand Slams. “But I knew that she’s going to try her very best to fight in this match, to try to get this win. … I was just trying to keep a positive mindset going to the third set. I’m super happy how well I handled my emotions, and how well I stayed focused from the very beginning till the very end.”

Sabalenka coasted in most of her service games. In the final set she was up 5-3, 30-30 with Gauff serving when the point of the match went to the powerful Belarusian. She drilled a backhand at Gauff at the net, who lunged for it and popped it high near the baseline. Sabalenka, who has also incorporated finesse in her game over the past two years, lifted an exquisite lob over the American’s head to set up match point.

On her first match point, Sabalenka’s crisp return of serve to Gauff’s backhand was air-mailed over the baseline. The two then shared a warm embrace at the net.

“Aryna, she trusts her game I think 100% and trusts herself, and when you’re playing like that, it’s so easy to play,’’ said Gauff, who was on court for nearly three hours longer than Sabalenka over six matches. “I have had moments in my career where I felt very similar, where you just feel like no matter what happens today, you’re going to win.

“I felt like that going in today, but it didn’t happen. When you’re playing someone who’s probably had that feeling the whole year versus me who is just trying to find that feeling this week. I think the more weeks I have like this one, even despite the result, those results will come my way.”

Gauff’s team had suggested she sit out this tournament after retiring from her match at Indian Wells with a nerve disorder in her left arm. However, once the MRI didn’t reveal any damage, Gauff didn’t want to miss her favorite tournament —  other than the four Majors – because she loves sleeping in her own bed in her home in Delray Beach.

While Gauff was thrilled with reaching the Miami finals, she still wanted to cross this title off her bucket list. When the Butch Buchholz Trophy was brought to the court to present to Sabalenka, Gauff sat on her courtside chair stone-faced and then teary-eyed.

“An athlete that I was inspired by at the Winter Olympics, Alysa Liu, and I had the mindset today that regardless of what happened, you lose, but there is no real loss in the situation,’’ said Gauff, who will rise from No. 4 to No. 3 on Monday, pushing past Iga Swiatek. “I was just looking at my box and seeing all my family and friends and hearing them in the crowd, and I know how much they supported me just to be on this stage, so I was just thinking more gratitude and things like that.

“It is a mindset shift, because obviously as soon as you lose a final, it’s tough. I’m thinking about — you could see on the bench before, I was just thinking about the match and replaying all the points. Then after, it’s over, you just learn from it. I’m grateful, because I didn’t think I’d be here and I’m here, and I know I can repeat this and come home with a bigger trophy, and I feel confident in that. 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. I can see clearly where I can improve on and do a lot better with.”

Prior to the tournament, Gauff, who has lived in Delray Beach for years, has said that this tournament where she earned her first main-draw win in 2019 is on her bucket list. Well, the beauty of being 22 is she will have around 15 more years to check it off.

***

About the Miami Open presented by Itaú

The 2026 Miami Open presented by Itaú will be played March 15 – March 29 at Hard Rock Stadium. The 15-day event is owned and operated by MARI and Hard Rock Stadium. The Miami Open is one of nine ATP Masters 1000 Series events on the ATP calendar, a WTA 1000 event on the WTA calendar, and annually hosts the world’s best players, with recent champions including the top players in each tour’s rankings – Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek. In 2025, the tournament attracted more than 400,000 spectators over its 15 days at Hard Rock Stadium. Widely regarded as the most glamorous stop on the ATP and WTA calendars, the Miami Open is defined by the city’s vibrant culture, nightlife, five-star dining and hospitality, iconic beaches, and celebrity appeal, along with its close proximity to Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

About Itaú Unibanco

The largest bank in Latin America, Itaú Unibanco operates in 18 countries and serves more than 70 million customers, including individuals and companies across a wide range of segments. With the purpose of strengthening financial well-being, the bank supports customers at different stages of life by offering solutions tailored to their needs, as well as innovation and information that encourage more conscious decision-making and a healthier relationship with money.

In sports, Itaú has maintained a consistent presence in tennis for 50 years, supporting the development of the sport in Brazil and worldwide across multiple fronts — from talent development to the sponsorship of major international events — as part of its strategy to strengthen customer relationships, build brand relevance, and broaden access to sport.

About MARI 

MARI is a global events and experiences company with a portfolio of some of the world’s most influential live properties across sport, art, lifestyle, and entertainment. From international tennis tournaments such as the Mutua Madrid Open and the Miami Open presented by Itaú to Frieze, a leading voice in contemporary art, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, TodayTix Group’s leadership in digital ticketing, and Barrett-Jackson’s leading collector car auctions, MARI’s portfolio reflects a shared ambition: to deliver live experiences that bring people together, inspire audiences and shape culture worldwide.

About Hard Rock Stadium

Hard Rock Stadium is a global entertainment destination and curator of world-class events. The best-in-class venue is home to the Miami Dolphins, University of Miami Hurricanes football team, the Capital One Orange Bowl, Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix, Miami Open presented by Itaú, major concerts, the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship Game and FIFA World Cup 2026™. Due to its overall sustainability efforts, the multifunctional venue holds Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification and FIA Three-Star Environmental Accreditation rating. For more information, visit hardrockstadium.com.