"Sabalenka, 27, had a chance to close out the third set but was broken at 5-4. Rybakina found herself with a championship point in the tiebreaker, only to have Sabalenka hit a backhand winner."
"This marked the 16th time the two players have met, with Sabalenka now holding a 9-7 advantage. Rybakina of Kazakhstan beat Sabalenka at the 2025 WTA Finals championship and the Australian Open two months ago. She also edged Sabalenka in the finals at Indian Wells in 2023."
Aryna Sabalenka claimed her first Indian Wells title by defeating Elena Rybakina in a competitive three-set match at the BNP Paribas Open. Playing in sweltering 90-degree heat, Sabalenka overcame a first-set loss and a missed opportunity to close the match at 5-4 in the third set. The decisive moment came in the tiebreaker when Rybakina held a championship point but Sabalenka responded with a backhand winner to secure the victory. This was Sabalenka's third appearance in the Indian Wells final, having finished as runner-up in both 2023 and 2025. The win improves Sabalenka's head-to-head record against Rybakina to 9-7.
Read at ESPN.com
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