Aryna Sabalenka recalls fighting demons of the Australian Open and Indian Wells final losses before Miami Open championship win
Aryna Sabalenka won her first Miami Open title this year, defeating Jessica Pegula in the finals.
Follow Us
Aryna Sabalenka (image via Instagram @arynasabalenka)
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka recently added another hard-court title to her legacy of excellence on the surface. Sabalenka won the 2025 Miami Open title with a straight-set victory over fourth-seed Jessica Pegula in the final.
Sabalenka reached the finals of the tournament without dropping a set en route, defeating Viktoriya Tomova, Elena-Gabriela Ruse, Danielle Collins, Qinwen Zheng and Jasmine Paolini on her way. After her title win, Sabalenka spoke about her fighting mentality going into this match.
Both Pegula and Sabalenka traded breaks three times in the first set, each refusing to back down. Sabalenka then hit a blistering 90 mph winner down the line, which was followed by a forehand error from Pegula on set point.
Going into this match, I had the mentality that no matter what happens, if she’s gonna break me, I had the mentality to stay there, to focus on myself, to fight for every point no matter what
Aryna Sabalenka told the reporters
Pegula, however, struck back in the second set, outmaneuvering Sabalenka with sharp angles and baseline rallies. An impressive backhand winner gave Pegula an early break, igniting hopes of a comeback. But Sabalenka levelled immediately before breaking again. The 26-year-old eventually sealed the deal with two more breaks, closing the match with a 7-5, 6-2 win.
With the latest win, Sabalenka has improved her head-to-head against Pegula to 7-2. This meet interestingly marked their third final on American soil, with Sabalenka securing the previous two victories at the 2024 US Open and 2024 Cincinnati Open.
Aryna Sabalenka lost her previous two finals before the Miami Open
Albeit a strong start to the season, winning the Brisbane International title, Aryna Sabalenka lost her next two finals. Sabalenka describes the experience of losing a final as ‘tough’. Perhaps the most heartbreaking of these losses was the 2025 Australian Open finals.
Entering as the two-time defending champion, Sabalenka was the favorite to win the tournament. However, she was denied the chance of a historic three-peat by then 14th-ranked Madison Keys in the finals.
I didn’t want to lose another final, to be honest. It’s really tough to lose in the final. So if someone would say that, I’d be, like, ‘OK, it’s going to be a battle, I’m ready for that.‘
Aryna Sabalenka added
She then had a rather inconsistent Middle East swing marked with early exits before regaining her form in the North American swing. She reached the finals of the Indian Wells Open, where she lost to 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva.
Aryna Sabalenka clinches her 19th WTA singles title
This victory in Miami marks Aryna Sabalenka’s eighth WTA 1000 singles titles, equaling Maria Sharapova’s total. The only players ahead of the Belarusian in WTA 1000 titles, dating back to the creation of that tier in 2009, are Serena Williams (13), Victoria Azarenka (10), Iga Swiatek (10), Simona Halep (9) and Petra Kvitova (9).
Overall, Sabalenka won her 19th WTA Tour singles title by triumphing in the 2025 Miami Open. 17 of her 19 titles have come on her beloved hard court, including all three of her major singles titles—the 2023 Australian Open, the 2024 Australian Open, and the 2024 US Open.
But interestingly, until this year, Sabalenka had never won either of the hard-court titles that comprise March’s prestigious Sunshine Double. She is a two-time runner-up at the Indian Wells Open and had never reached a Miami Open semifinal until this week. Now, Sabalenka is the Miami Open champion at last.
Stay Updated!
/techfirstnow/media/agency_attachments/kATjCXskQdJKkXN0OuqW.png)