Sabalenka wins first Indian Wells title with victory against Rybakina
Al Jazeera
World number one’s triumph against Elena Rybakina avenges her loss to the Kazakh in the 2026 Australian Open final.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka finally conquered her Indian Wells demons on Sunday, defeating Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) in a breathless final to claim the desert title for the first time and secure her 23rd career crown.
The victory was sweet redemption for the Belarusian, who had lost her previous two Indian Wells finals, including to Rybakina herself in 2023, and had begun the year with a defeat to the Kazakh 26-year-old in the Australian Open final in January.
A two-time Grand Slam champion, Rybakina dominated the opening exchanges of the first set, breaking Sabalenka to surge into a 4-2 lead and exploiting the Belarusian’s backhand to close it out. It was the first time Sabalenka had dropped a set in the tournament.
The second set began no more comfortably, with Sabalenka letting out an audible yell as Rybakina broke her in the opening game. But the four-time Belarusian Grand Slam champion dug deep, responding with a love hold to level at 1-1, and gradually turned the tide.
A second break in the fourth game gave Sabalenka a commanding 4-1 lead, and although Rybakina pressed, the Belarusian’s intensity proved too much as she took the set with four aces and conceded nine unforced errors to Rybakina’s 13.
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