MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Aryna Sabalenka triumphed over Coco Gauff in a thrilling Miami Open women’s singles final, securing victory with scores of 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 on Saturday.
The world No. 1 showcased her dominance, delivering explosive groundstrokes that overwhelmed the fourth-ranked Gauff in the opening and closing sets. With this win, Sabalenka becomes the first player to achieve the illustrious “Sunshine Double”—following her Indian Wells victory with a Miami title—since Iga Swiatek in 2022.
This marked Sabalenka’s second consecutive Miami Open title, a significant win in Gauff’s home tournament, and it shifts their head-to-head record to 7-6 in favor of Sabalenka.
During the awards ceremony, Sabalenka expressed her admiration, stating, “You’ve pushed me to be a better player,” and praised the enthusiastic crowd with, “You always bring a full stadium.”
The match unfolded over 2 hours and 11 minutes, concluding with Gauff being broken for the fourth time following a wide backhand error.
Despite rallying to take the match into a third set, Gauff struggled to maintain the momentum fueled by the roaring crowd cheering her on.
“It’s disappointing not to walk away with a better result, but I had an incredible time this week,” Gauff shared with fans. “You brought the energy every day.”
Gauff’s inconsistent serve produced seven double faults, while Sabalenka kept her game clean with none.
In a pivotal moment, Sabalenka secured a break in the opening game of the third set, capitalizing on Gauff’s double fault and an unforced error. With steely focus, Sabalenka delivered a backhand winner on break point.
“I was upset about that first game of the third set when I was up 30-0 with some momentum,” Gauff reflected. “That was a key game to win at that stage.”
The match caught the attention of notable attendees, including Kai Trump, granddaughter of former President Donald Trump and a golfer at the University of Miami, who shared a photo with Sabalenka on social media leading up to the event.
Securing her 24th professional title, Sabalenka noted prior to the match her delight in seeing Gauff excel in her home tournament, where Sabalenka had never advanced past the fourth round before.
