Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka triumphed over local star Coco Gauff with a score of 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the final of the Miami Open on Saturday, marking her achievement of the prestigious “Sunshine Double.”
Seeded at the top, Sabalenka navigated her way to the final without dropping a single set. She won an impressive 73 percent of her first-serve points and only faced two break points throughout the match, showcasing her dominant performance in a rematch of the 2025 French Open final where Gauff emerged victorious.
Sabalenka becomes the fifth woman to secure consecutive titles at both the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments, a remarkable achievement known as the “Sunshine Double,” symbolizing the geographic locations of the tournaments in California and Florida.
During the trophy presentation, Sabalenka addressed Gauff, stating, “I want to start with Coco. You’re a fighter, and you also push me so hard to be a better player, and I like our rivalry.”
Sabalenka surged ahead to a 2-0 lead, but Gauff, hailing from nearby Delray Beach and making her debut in the Miami final, responded with a love hold and fended off three break points in her next service game to come within 3-2.
However, Sabalenka maintained her focus and extended her lead with a double break against the fourth-ranked player in the world, ultimately consolidating a commanding first set serving performance.
The second set saw minimal difference between the two competitors, remaining on serve until Gauff managed to break Sabalenka for the first time, thereby setting the stage for a deciding set.
In the final frame, Sabalenka broke Gauff's serve at the outset, and then held her serve at love in the next two service games, advancing to a 5-3 lead before clinching the match with her fourth break when Gauff sent a backhand wide.
With this victory, Sabalenka becomes the first player to win consecutive titles at the Miami Open since Ash Barty in 2019 and 2021, noting that the 2020 tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She joins an elite group of women, including Iga Swiatek (2022), Victoria Azarenka (2016), Kim Clijsters (2005), and Steffi Graf (1994, 1996), as the only players to accomplish the Sunshine Double.
Additionally, Sabalenka's record for the year improves to 23-1, with her sole defeat occurring in the Australian Open final against Elena Rybakina, a player she subsequently defeated in both the Indian Wells final and the Miami semifinals.
In response to the match outcome, Gauff remarked, “Aryna, congratulations. We’ve had many battles, many finals and, yeah, I think you push me to be a better player. You’re a great fighter, and hopefully we can play many more. I think we will.”
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