Aryna Sabalenka achieved a significant milestone by winning her first Miami Open title, defeating fourth seed Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2. This victory marks her 19th WTA title and solidifies her position as the premier player in women's tennis. With a remarkable record of not dropping a set throughout the tournament, Sabalenka demonstrated her dominance against top players. Her victory is particularly special given the challenges she faced in previous finals. This win makes her the third WTA No 1 to reach finals in multiple major tournaments in the same year, underscoring her exceptional skill and focus.
I'm speechless, said the Belarusian. The last couple of finals were really tough, tight and close ones for me. Going into this one I was so focused on myself.
She faced two other top 10 opponents in the sixth seed Jasmine Paolini and the ninth seed Zheng Qinwen, plus the defending champion Danielle Collins, yet she did not drop a set in her six matches.
Sabalenka's dominant performances en-route to the final further positioned her as the clear favourite. She settled down in the second half of the opening set, perfectly timing her best return game.
Over the past year, Sabalenka and Pegula have met in three of the five most significant hard court finals after their 2024 meetings at the US Open and Cincinnati Open.
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