World No. 1 becomes fifth woman in history to sweep Indian Wells and Miami in same season
Aryna Sabalenka got her name into tennis history on Saturday, defeating Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the Miami Open final to complete the elusive “Sunshine Double”.
The Belarusian became the first player since Iga Swiatek in 2022 to win both Indian Wells and Miami in the same season, joining a small club that includes only Steffi Graf (1994, 1996), Kim Clijsters (2005) and Victoria Azarenka (2016).
“My goal has always been to put my name in history, and I just did it,” Sabalenka said in her post-match press conference. “It just sounds so unreal. I don’t know how I was able to achieve that, but I’m super proud right now.”
Dominant performance
The 2-hour, 11-minute final at Hard Rock Stadium really showed Sabalenka at her most ruthless. The world No. 1 over-powered fourth-ranked Gauff in the first and third sets with great groundstroke winners, winning 73 percent of her first-serve points and breaking the American four times.
Sabalenka wasted no time in getting into the match, breaking Gauff immediately in the opening game with a sharp-angled backhand winner that set the tone for what would follow. After consolidating for 2-0, she used her backhand to carve up the court, holding for 3-1 with another angled winner.
Gauff, playing in her first Miami Open final in her hometown tournament, showed resilience by holding from 0-40 down to get within 3-2, saving three break points in a game that lasted over eight minutes. But Sabalenka’s game proved too much, and she closed out the first set with a double break advantage.
The second set saw Gauff adjust her tactics, increasing rally tolerance and reducing unforced errors during neutral exchanges. She held more comfortably and extended points to disrupt Sabalenka’s first-strike patterns. The crucial moment came at 4-4 when Gauff broke to love.
Third-set masterclass
The decider belonged entirely to Sabalenka. She broke Gauff in the opening game, with a double fault and an unforced error from the American, and then crunched a backhand winner on break point to seize control.
From there, the world No. 1 was just how she usually is. She held at love in two consecutive service games to go 5-3 up, then sealed the victory with her fourth break of the match when Gauff sent a backhand wide.
The win marked her second consecutive Miami Open title and she edgede their H2H as well (7-6 now). She is the first player to win back-to-back Miami titles since Ashleigh Barty (2019, 2021) and the first to do so in consecutive years since Serena Williams (2013-2015).
A season for the ages
Sabalenka’s Sunshine Double run has been breathtaking. She improved to 23-1 on the season, dropping just one set across nine matches in California and Florida combined. Her only loss in 2026 came in the Australian Open final against Elena Rybakina, whom she subsequently defeated in both the Indian Wells final and the Miami semifinals.
The victory marked Sabalenka’s 24th WTA singles title and her 11th WTA 1000 crown, joining Swiatek in second place on the all-time WTA 1000 list since the format was introduced in 2009.
Sabalenka reached the Miami final without dropping a set and won 12 of her 13 service games in the final.
Mutual respect between rivals
Despite the competitive intensity, both players showed deep respect for their rivalry.
“Coco, you’re so good at speeches,” Sabalenka said during the trophy presentation. “Honestly, I don’t know what else to say. But I want to start with you. You’re a fighter. You also pushed me so hard to be a better player, and I like our rivalry. You’re incredible. I’m happy to see you back in the finals and I really hope to play many more.”
Gauff, gracious in defeat, thanked the home crowd and acknowledged Sabalenka’s dominance.
This was a rematch of the 2025 French Open final, which Gauff won. The American, who falls to 9-1 in hard-court finals, will look to defend points on clay, where she reached finals in Madrid and Rome last year and won Roland Garros by defeating Sabalenka in the final.
What’s next: Clay Season
With the Sunshine Double complete, both players now shift focus to the European clay-court season. Sabalenka will carry a 23-1 record and an extreme confidence into a surface where she has historically been strong but has yet to claim a major title. Read more about Sabalenka’s new racquet here.
Gauff, meanwhile, returns to clay as the defending French Open champion and with strong memories of last year’s finals in Madrid and Rome.
