There are champions who win by dominance. And then there are champions who win by will. On Sunday afternoon at Indian Wells, Aryna Sabalenka was emphatically the latter.
Staring down a match point in a pulsating final-set tiebreak, the world No. 1 produced the single most important shot of her week — a thunderous backhand winner that silenced the moment — and never looked back. She rallied from 3-5 down in the tiebreak before saving match point with that stunning backhand winner, eventually prevailing 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) to claim her first-ever BNP Paribas Open crown.
Old Wounds, New Ending
For Sabalenka, this was more than just a title. It was a reckoning. Rybakina had won their last four final meetings, a run that included the 2023 Indian Wells final itself. She had beaten Sabalenka at the WTA Finals in Riyadh and again at the Australian Open in January — and for long stretches of Sunday’s match, it looked as though the pattern would repeat.
After falling in the 2023 and 2025 Indian Wells finals, Sabalenka had unfinished business in the desert. She settled it emphatically.
How It Unfolded
Rybakina came out sharper. She won 80% of points behind her first serve in the opener compared with 64% for Sabalenka and converted the only break point of the set for a 4-2 lead before sealing it comfortably.
The second set began even worse. A double-fault on break point in the opening game left Sabalenka immediately in trouble. She cracked her racquet and turned to her coaching box in a heated exchange — but what followed was not a meltdown. It was a masterclass. She broke Rybakina at love to level at 1-1, saved two more break points in a marathon third game, and eventually took the set 6-3 to force a decider.
The third set swung wildly. Sabalenka broke early and led 4-1, only for Rybakina to claw her way back. Serving for the championship at 5-4, Sabalenka was broken. The match hurtled into a tiebreak — and into history.
The Moment That Mattered
At 6-5 in the tiebreak, on Rybakina’s serve, the Kazakh had championship point. The crowd held its breath. Sabalenka did not flinch. A blistering cross-court backhand — one of 29 winners she would finish with on the day — screamed past Rybakina and levelled the tiebreak at 6-6. From there, it was all Sabalenka. She won three consecutive points to close it out 8-6.
When Rybakina’s final return went long, Sabalenka sank to her knees on the court, overcome with a mix of joy and relief.
A Week Like No Other
“What a week,” she told the crowd during the trophy ceremony. “Getting a puppy, getting engaged and winning a title. I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.” She flashed her engagement ring and brought her new puppy onto the court to share the moment.
The numbers tell their own story: a 23rd WTA title, her 10th WTA 1000 trophy, and her 20th hard court crown. Her season record now reads 17-1. And there’s barely a moment to breathe. Sabalenka was set to depart Sunday night for Miami, where she arrives as defending champion. “Probably will have a couple drinks on the plane and that’s it,” she said with a grin.
Some champions make it look easy. Sabalenka made it look human — and somehow, that made it all the more extraordinary.
