New Delhi: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka clinched her maiden Miami Open title with a commanding 7-5, 6-2 win over Jessica Pegula in the women’s final. The Belarusian displayed her trademark power and resilience to dominate the contest adding another significant hard-court title to her cabinet.
In a highly anticipated rematch of last year’s US Open final, Sabalenka took just one hour and 28 minutes to get past the fourth-seeded American. While their recent encounters have been closely contested, this victory extended Sabalenka’s head-to-head dominance over Pegula to 7-2.
For Sabalenka, this triumph meant a lot as she had fallen short in her previous two finals—losing to Madison Keys at the Australian Open and to rising star Mirra Andreeva at Indian Wells. This time she left no room for doubt, producing a clinical display from start to finish.
“Finally, I was able to play my best tennis in the final, and I’m just super happy with the result and my performance,” an elated Sabalenka said after lifting the trophy.
“You’re not my team, you’re my family” 🥹
Aryna Sabalenka shows love to her team, opponent, and the fans after claiming the #MiamiOpen title 🫶 pic.twitter.com/ltGdcSDlGO
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) March 29, 2025
The opening set was a rollercoaster, with both players struggling to hold serve. There were seven service breaks in a hard-fought first set. Pegula fought hard but at 6-5 down she lost her serve to love, handing the first set to Sabalenka.
From that moment, the world No. 1 never looked back. Her powerful groundstrokes and aggressive returns overwhelmed Pegula, who found it increasingly difficult to cope with the intensity of Sabalenka’s game.
Three Grand Slam Champion winner carried her momentum into the second set and dictated points with her heavy baseline hitting. Pegula, unable to find a way past her opponent’s relentless attack, found herself trailing quickly. At 5-2, Sabalenka broke Pegula one last time to wrap up the victory in straight sets.
Sabalenka’s performance was a masterclass in aggressive tennis as she fired 31 winners compared to just 12 from Pegula. Her ability to fight back after every break of serve showcased her mental toughness, a key factor in her success.
Miami CHAMP 🏆
World No. 1 @SabalenkaA defeats Pegula 7-5, 6-2 to lift her 8th WTA-1000 title!#MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/hbObbMd8w6
— wta (@WTA) March 29, 2025
Sabalenka’s hard-court dominance continues
With this victory, Sabalenka now holds eight WTA 1000 titles, equaling the tally of Maria Sharapova. Only a handful of players – erena Williams (13), Victoria Azarenka (10), Iga Swiatek (10), Simona Halep (9), and Petra Kvitova (9) have more WTA 1000 trophies since the tier’s inception in 2009.
Overall, this triumph marks her 19th WTA singles title with an astonishing 17 of them coming on hard courts. Her three Grand Slam titles—the 2023 and 2024 Australian Opens and the 2024 US Open have all come on the same surface, further reinforcing her status as a dominant force on hard courts.
A sunshine double success…
Despite her hard-court prowess, Sabalenka had never won either of the two prestigious Sunshine Double tournaments before this year. She had finished runner-up twice at Indian Wells, including earlier this month, and had never previously reached a Miami Open final.
But the World No. 1 changed that this week. Her Miami triumph fills a significant gap in her resume and adds to her growing legacy. After the win, she revealed, “Going into this match, I told myself to fight for every point, no matter what.” I didn’t want to lose another final. I knew it was going to be a battle, and I was ready for it.”
Sabalenka’s fighting spirit paid off, as she stands as the Miami Open champion for the first time without losing a single set. With her confidence back, she will now look to carry this momentum forward as the season progresses.
The Belarusian star Aryna Sabalenka wins her first Miami Open title as she defeated Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the final, adding to her hard-court dominance. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
