World number one Aryna Sabalenka defeated Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 to retain her Miami Open title and cap a brilliant start to 2026.
The 27-year-old Belarusian is only the fifth women’s player, and the first since Iga Swiatek in 2022, to win both the Indian Wells and Miami titles in the same season, a feat known as the ‘Sunshine Double’. Victoria Azarenka, Kim Clijsters and Steffi Graf are the only other women to have done it.
Sabalenka has now won three WTA titles this year and lost just one of her 24 matches, that defeat coming in the Australian Open final against world number two Elena Rybakina. Before Saturday’s match, Rybakina had also been the only player to take a set off Sabalenka all year.
“I’m so proud of the work we’ve done and the fight I showed on court,” Sabalenka said. “Coco fights for every point and played brilliantly, but I stayed mentally strong and knew I was doing the right things.”
Sabalenka raced through the opening set after breaking in the very first game. Gauff fought back well in the second, saving break points at 2-2 and 3-3 before taking it to level the match. However, Sabalenka broke early in the third set and closed out the match on her first match point when Gauff hit a backhand wide.
Despite the defeat, Gauff will move up to third in the world rankings when they are next updated, overtaking Poland’s Swiatek. The pair had been level at 6-6 in their head-to-head record going into the final, with both of Gauff’s Grand Slam titles having come against Sabalenka.
In the men’s doubles final, Great Britain’s Henry Patten and his Finnish partner Harri Helioevaara were beaten 6-4, 6-2 by Italian duo Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.
World number two Jannik Sinner faces Czech 21st seed Jiri Lehecka in the men’s singles final on Sunday, with the Italian aiming to follow up his Indian Wells victory with the Miami title as well.
