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Aryna Sabalenka lifted the Miami Open trophy, beating fellow top-10 player Jessica Pegula in the summit clash on Saturday. She was a straight-sets victor, coming through in two keenly contested sets, 7-5, 6-3.
The match, however, was not without its twists and turns, much like the fortnight has been for Sabalenka in Miami. Her win was even more special, given how she had failed to capture any title since the very start of the season.
With the win, Sabalenka also achieved a few career milestones, and we are here to take you through some of those very additions to her list of achievements:
#3 Aryna Sabalenka is the fourth player this Century to win the Miami Open as World No 1
Performing at the highest level when all eyes are on you is not the easiest. Aryna Sabalenka, however, has shown that she can thrive under such pressure.
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The Belarusian has become just the fourth player to win the Miami Open, one of the biggest tournaments on the Tour calendar, as the World No. 1 this century. She has also strengthened her grip over the top spot, now steering over 3,000 points clear of her nearest rival, Iga Swiatek.
The first player to achieve the feat of winning the Miami Open as the World No. 1 was Martina Hingis right at the start of the century in 2000. She beat Lindsay Davenport in the final that year. Serena Williams achieved the feat on four occasions, first in 2003, then consecutively in 2013, 2014, and 2015, all as World No. 1.
The last player to do so before Sabalenka this year was Ashleigh Barty, who got the better of Bianca Andreescu in the 2021 final.
#2 First to defeat top-10 opponents in QF, SF, and Final in straight sets since Serena Williams
It takes a lot of quality results to lift a title at this level, and Aryna Sabalenka would testify as much. In her last three matches at the Miami Open, the World No. 1 found herself pitted against top-10 opponents.
Sabalenka did really well to wrap up her matches against Zheng Qinwen and Jasmine Paolini in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. While she was a 6-2, 7-5 victor over Zheng, she dropped even fewer games in the 6-2, 6-2 win over Paolini.
Playing in the final, the top seed was tested by Jessica Pegula, but managed just enough to keep her ahead. She eventually took the match in two tight sets, 7-5, 6-2, to lift the trophy.
The last time a player defeated three top-10 opponents in the quarter, semi, and finals in straight sets was since Serena Williams was back in 2014. She had at the time beaten Angelique Kerber, Maria Sharapova and Li Na to capture the crown.
#1 Second longest wait to win Miami Open after Petra Kvitova
Good things come to those who wait. Aryna Sabalenka would find merit in this argument, as she has found some of her biggest successes have come later than expected for someone who hits the ball as big as she does.
One of the more recent Grand Slam champions, Sabalenka has been playing some of her best tennis in her late 20s. By winning the Miami Open for the first time on her seventh appearance, she has become the player with the second-longest wait to get their hands on the trophy.
Kvitova played the Miami Open on 12 occasions before finally finding a way into the winner’s circle in 2023.
Sabalenka, meanwhile, needed seven turns to go all the way in Miami. It puts her at a tie with another fellow Grand Slam champion, Sloane Stephens.
