Top-ranked player Aryna Sabalenka defeated Coco Gauff in a three-set match, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, successfully defending her Miami Open championship and continuing her remarkable performance into the year 2026.
The 27-year-old Belarusian, Sabalenka, has become the fifth woman in history, and the first since Iga Swiatek in 2022, to achieve the coveted ‘Sunshine Double’ by claiming victory at both Indian Wells and Miami within a single season.
Prior to her accomplishment, Victoria Azarenka, Kim Clijsters, and Steffi Graf were the three other female athletes who had previously managed this impressive feat.
This calendar year, Sabalenka has secured three WTA Tour championships and emerged victorious in 23 out of 24 contests she has played.
Her sole defeat occurred in the Australian Open final in January, where she was bested by the second-ranked player globally, Elena Rybakina, who until American Gauff pushed the Miami final to a deciding set, was the only competitor to have taken a set from Sabalenka in 2026.
