Aryna Sabalenka Edges Rybakina in Thrilling Indian Wells Final
Aryna Sabalenka defeats Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) to win her first Indian Wells title.
Tension-filled match sees Sabalenka emerge victorious in Indian Wells...
Aryna Sabalenka finally conquered her Indian Wells demons, defeating Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) in a thrilling final. This marks her first Indian Wells title, and 23rd WTA singles title overall.
Sabalenka ended a frustrating run of finals losses to Rybakina, who had won their last four title clashes, including the 2023 Indian Wells final and this year's Australian Open. The Belarusian showed incredible resilience, saving a match point in the tiebreaker to secure the win.
Aryna Sabalenka made a stunning comeback to claim her first Indian Wells title, defeating Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) in a thrilling final. Trailing 5-6 in the tiebreaker, Sabalenka fought off a match point to secure the win, earning revenge against Rybakina, who beat her in the 2023 Indian Wells final and the 2026 Australian Open final.
“Thanks God I got this trophy,” Sabalenka said, relieved to have finally won the title after losing to Russian teen Mirra Andreeva last year. This victory marks Sabalenka's 23rd WTA singles title and her 10th at the WTA 1000 level.
Aryna Sabalenka looked like she was cruising to victory with a 2-1 lead in the third set, but Elena Rybakina mounted a stunning comeback, breaking back to level the score at 5-5. Sabalenka faced five break points in the next game, but she dug deep and held at love to force a tiebreaker ¹ ².
In the tiebreaker, Sabalenka rallied from 3-5 down, saving a match point with a stunning backhand winner. She won the net point on Rybakina's serve and delivered a massive serve to seal the win, 7-6(6).
“It was a hell of a battle,” Sabalenka said.
“I'm super-happy with the last three points of the match that I was able to pull out such great tennis.”
The match between Sabalenka and Rybakina was a tight, intense battle, with both players trading blows. Rybakina seized the only break point of the opening set, taking a 4-2 lead, and followed it up with a love game.
Elena Rybakina's service game was solid until she served for the set, where she dropped two points. However, she quickly regained her momentum, coming back from 0-30 down to create a set point with an ace. She ultimately secured the set when Aryna Sabalenka's backhand down the line went wide.
Aryna Sabalenka faced a tough spot in the second set, giving up a double fault on break point in the opening game. But she didn't let frustration get the best of her - instead, she dug deep and turned the game around, winning the next four games to take a 4-1 lead.
“The whole idea going into this match was to be mentally strong, to stay strong no matter what, to show with the body language that I'm here, I'm fighting, and no matter what's going on right now in the match, I'll still be fighting,” Sabalenka said.
Some crystal to go with that diamond 💍🏆#TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/oT0gE18hqW
— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 15, 2026
Aryna Sabalenka leveled the score at 1-1, breaking Elena Rybakina at love. She then saved two more break points in a grueling third game, showcasing her mental toughness. Rybakina's forehand errors increased with the desert heat, and she double-faulted on break point, handing Sabalenka a 3-1 lead. Sabalenka capitalized, holding with ease to make it 4-1 before Rybakina regrouped.
Aryna Sabalenka showed incredible resilience, fending off a break point for 5-2 and saving another with an ace as she served out the set. Now, she's heading into the Miami Open to defend her title, with eyes on completing the 'Sunshine Double.'
Elena Rybakina, on the other hand, is set to rise to world number 2, overtaking Poland's Iga Swiatek. She'll be looking to bounce back from her Indian Wells final loss to Sabalenka.
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