Belarusian tennis player Sabalenka wins second consecutive Miami Open title

Aryna Sabalenka Wins Miami Open Title, Completes “Sunshine Double”

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka defeated Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the Miami Open final on Saturday. The match marked Sabalenka’s first win without dropping a set this tournament and her seventh victory over Gauff in their head-to-head series.

Sabalenka, who was seeded number one, won 73 percent of her first-serve points during the match. She faced only two break points en route to victory. In the final, Sabalenka took an early lead, winning the first set 6-2. Gauff responded by breaking Sabalenka in the second set, forcing a third set.

The middle set was closely contested, with neither player able to gain a significant advantage until Gauff broke Sabalenka for the only time in the match. However, Sabalenka regained her lead and eventually went up two breaks on the world number four’s serve. She sealed the victory with her fourth break of the match.

Sabalenka’s win marked her first back-to-back Miami title since Ash Barty in 2019 and 2021. The Belarusian joins a select group of women who have completed the “Sunshine Double”, including Iga Swiatek, Victoria Azarenka, Kim Clijsters, and Steffi Graf.

In a post-match ceremony, Sabalenka praised Gauff for pushing her to be a better player. Gauff also congratulated Sabalenka on her victory, stating that she looks forward to their future matches.

Source: Al Jazeera