Miami: Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka defeated hometown favorite Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the Miami Open final, securing a spot in an exclusive group of women by completing the coveted ‘Sunshine Double,’ winning both Indian Wells and Miami in the same season.
World number one Sabalenka reached the final without dropping a set, winning 73 percent of her first-serve points and facing only two break points en route to victory, in a rematch of the 2025 French Open final, which Gauff had won.
“I want to start with Coco. You’re a fighter, and you push me so hard to be a better player, and I like our rivalry,” Sabalenka said that during the trophy ceremony, improving her all-time record against Gauff to 7-6.
BACK TO BACK 👏👏
Our defending champ did it again ‼️#MiamiOpen | @SabalenkaA | @WTA pic.twitter.com/h33ed5aPiw
— Miami Open (@MiamiOpen) March 29, 2026
Game highlights
Sabalenka started strongly with a 2-0 lead, but Gauff, playing in front of her home crowd near Delray Beach and appearing in her first Miami final, held serve at love and then repelled three break points in her next game to narrow the score to 3-2. Sabalenka regained focus, eventually earning a double break before closing out the first set on her serve.
The second set remained on serve for most of the games until Gauff broke Sabalenka for the only time in the match, forcing a deciding third set. In the final set, Sabalenka broke early, held serve at love in two consecutive games to go 5-3, and sealed the win with her fourth break of the match when Gauff sent a backhand wide.
Sabalenka becomes the first player to win consecutive Miami titles since Ashleigh Barty in 2019 and 2021 (the 2020 edition was cancelled due to COVID-19). The Belarusian joins Iga Swiatek (2022), Victoria Azarenka (2016), Kim Clijsters (2005), and Steffi Graf (1994, 1996) as the only women to complete the ‘Sunshine Double.’
This victory also improves Sabalenka’s 2026 record to 23-1, her only loss having come in the Australian Open final to Elena Rybakina, whom she later defeated in the Indian Wells final and Miami semifinals.
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