World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka completed a remarkable Sunshine Double after defeating Coco Gauff in a hard-fought three-set final to win the Miami Open, just two weeks after her triumph at Indian Wells Open, MySportDab Reports.
Sabalenka came out firing, immediately breaking Gauff’s serve and asserting dominance early in the contest. The Belarusian was in complete control throughout the opening set, not facing a single break point as she powered to a 6-2 lead in just 38 minutes.
The second set, however, saw a shift in momentum. Gauff started brightly and created her first break opportunity early on, though she was unable to convert.
Sabalenka looked poised to wrap up the match in straight sets, piling pressure on the American, who was forced to save break points at crucial moments.
But the 22-year-old Gauff showed resilience when it mattered most. Capitalizing on a slight dip in Sabalenka’s intensity, she fought back from 30-0 down in a key game to secure a vital break before closing out the set 6-4, sending the home crowd into a frenzy and forcing a decider.
Any hopes of a comeback were quickly dampened as Sabalenka regained control in the third set, racing to a 2-0 lead. From there, she maintained her composure and attacking rhythm, eventually sealing the match with another decisive break to secure a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory.
The win makes Sabalenka just the fifth woman in history to achieve the Sunshine Double and only the third to surpass 10 WTA 1000 titles, underlining her dominance on the tour.
Despite the loss, Gauff took positives from her campaign, marking a strong return after injury concerns and celebrating her first-ever Miami Open final appearance.
