Aryna Sabalenka Secures First Miami Open Championship
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Synopsis
Aryna Sabalenka claimed her first Miami Open title after defeating Jessica Pegula in a thrilling final. This victory marks a significant moment in her career, highlighting her resilience and skill on the court.
Key Takeaways
- Aryna Sabalenka wins her first Miami Open title.
- Defeated Jessica Pegula in the final.
- Achieved a critical break at 5-6 in the first set.
- Now has eight WTA 1000 singles titles, matching Sharapova.
- Did not drop a set in the tournament.
Miami, March 30 (NationPress) Aryna Sabalenka secured her first Miami Open championship by defeating Jessica Pegula from the United States in the final.
In a rematch of the previous year’s US Open final, despite having her powerful serve broken three times during the first set, Sabalenka, currently ranked No. 1 in the world, adeptly bounced back, achieving a pivotal break at 5-6 that propelled her to a 7-5, 6-2 victory over the fourth-ranked Pegula in just 1 hour and 28 minutes, marking her first Miami Open Masters 1000 title.
This victory was particularly significant for Sabalenka, who had faced narrow defeats in her last two finals, at the Australian Open (against Madison Keys) and Indian Wells (against Mirra Andreeva).
“I finally managed to showcase my best tennis in the final, and I’m extremely pleased with the result and my performance over the past months. I’m thrilled to hold this stunning (crystal Butch Buchholz) trophy,” she stated.
“Heading into this match, my mindset was to remain focused and fight for every point, regardless of whether she broke my serve,” Sabalenka added.
“I was determined not to lose another final. Losing in finals is quite challenging. I approached it as a battle, and I was ready for it,” she expressed.
With this victory, Sabalenka now has a total of eight WTA 1000 singles titles, matching the total won by Maria Sharapova. The only players with more WTA 1000 titles since the category was established in 2009 are Serena Williams (13), Victoria Azarenka (10), Iga Swiatek (10), Simona Halep (9), and Petra Kvitova (9).
Overall, this triumph in Miami marks Sabalenka's 19th Hologic WTA Tour singles title, with 17 of those titles being secured on hard courts, including her three Grand Slam singles titles: the 2023 Australian Open, 2024 Australian Open, and the 2024 US Open, according to WTA reports.
The 26-year-old didn’t lose a single set in any of her six matches, defeating defending champion Danielle Collins, Olympic gold medalist and ninth-ranked Qinwen Zheng, seventh-ranked Jasmine Paolini, and fourth-ranked Pegula, who is arguably the second-best hard-court player in the world.
Remarkably, this is only the second occasion in Sabalenka’s career that she has defeated three Top 10 players in one event, the prior instance being at the 2022 WTA Finals (where she faced Pegula, Ons Jabeur, and Swiatek).
