Aryna Sabalenka defeated Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the Miami Open final on Saturday, becoming the fifth woman in history to complete the prestigious Sunshine Double.
Sabalenka, the world number one, dominated the tournament without dropping a set until the final. She won 73% of her first-serve points and faced only two break points in a rematch of the 2025 French Open final.
The Belarusian joins Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka, and Iga Swiatek as the only women to win Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back. Sabalenka also became the first player since Ashleigh Barty to win consecutive Miami titles.
Gauff, playing in her first Miami final, showed resilience after losing the first set. She broke Sabalenka once in the second set to force a decider, but Sabalenka responded with a break in the opening game and sealed the match with her fourth break.
Sabalenka improved her head-to-head record against Gauff to 7-6 and now holds a 23-1 record for the season. Her only loss came in the Australian Open final to Elena Rybakina, whom she later defeated in both Indian Wells and Miami.
During the trophy ceremony, Sabalenka praised Gauff for their rivalry and credited her for pushing her to become a better player. Gauff echoed the sentiment, calling Sabalenka a great fighter and expressing hope for more finals between them.
Sabalenka’s triumph cements her status among tennis legends and highlights her dominance in the 2026 season.
